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WOMAN'S 

HOME BOOK OF HEALTH, 



EMBRACING HER 



PHYSICAL LIFE, HYGIENE, 



PECULIAR DISEASES 



BEING A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OP 

THE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS OF THE HUMAN BODY, WITH 

THEIR SPECIAL APPLICATIONS TO HYGIENE ; TO THE SEXUAL 

DISEASES OF WOMEN ; AND TO MIDWIFERY ; AND, ALSO, 

THE TREATMENT OF SUCH CASES BY THE USE OF 

REMEDIES, SAFE, PLEASANT AND EFFICIENT. 

NEW STEEEOTYPE EDITION, 

THOROUGHLY REVISED AND ENLARGED BY IMPORTANT ADDITIONS ON 

MARRIAGE: CONCEPTION ; PROCURED ABORTION ; THE HYGIENE OF 

PUBERTY AND GESTATION; PAINLESS LABOR : THE 

HYGIENE AND DISEASES OF CHILDREN, Etc. 

BY JNO. STAINBACK WILSON, M.D., 

Health Editor of Wilson's Herald of Health, Farm and Household Help; formerly 

Editor of the " Health Department " of Godey's Lady's Book; for many 

Tears Member of a Regular Medical Association, Etc., Etc, 



i° 



W 



Obedience is health, happiness, life. 
Disobedience is pain, disease, death. 



> 



PUBLISHED BY 
SOUTHERN PUBLISHING COMPANY. 

3, 5 ANDI9, MARIETTA STREET, ATLANTA, GA. 

1871 



Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1874, by 

WM. A. RAMSAY, 

In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 
All rights reserved. 



To form some idea of the great value of the work read 
this, and the Author's preface. 

PUBLISHERS' PREFACE. 



Though many books similar to this have been published 
within the last few years, yet, the work now presented to 
the women of America, differs so widely from the de- 
moralizing sensational publications of the day, in purity 
of style and sentiment, and in the transcendent value 
op its teachings, as to need no apology for its reissue in 
a new and enlarged form, when it has already received the 
seal of popular approbation. 

Nor is it necessary for the publishers to multiply words 
in reference to the Author. He is well known to the 
people as the editor of the "Health Department" of 
Godey's Lady's Book, which he originated, and to which 
he contributed, for years preceding the war, a series of the 
most popular hygienic articles, which have ever been 
written ; and, which time, nor change, nor the strife and 
turmoil of civil war can efface from the public mind ; and 
which are still remembered, quoted, and referred to as a 
standard authority on subjects pertaining to the health of 
women and children. 

(iu) 



IV PREFACE. 

If our author had done nothing more than originated 
the "Health Department" of Godey's Lady's Book, he 
would be entitled to the lasting gratitude of the women 
of America, as the originator of a new feature in popular 
literature, which has been copied by many of the leading 
magazines of this country. 

As TO THE PROFESSIONAL STANDING of OUr Author, it IS 

sufficient to say that he is a regular physician of long 
experience, and that he is well and favorably known to 
his professional brethren, as a contributor for the past 
twenty years, to the first medical journals in the country , 
both North and South. 

The publishers in issuing a new stereotyped and en- 
larged edition of Dr. Wilson's valuable work, avail 
themselves of the opportunity to say a few words as to 
its nature and objects. The work is emphatically a 
Home Book for women. 

Discarding, as far as possible, all medical technicalities, 
and dry useless details, it treats in plain, yet chaste lan- 
guage on subjects of the most vital importance to the 
health and happiness of all women. 

At the same time those revelations that are too often 
made merely to fill up a book, or to minister to an idle 
and prurient curiosity, are avoided. 

All necessary information as to the structure and func- 
tions of the generative organs of woman is communicated, 
so that she may understand her own Physical Life, 
Hygiene and Peculiar Diseases, and apply the princi- 
ples which should guide her in the Preservation of her 
Health, in the Treatment of her Diseases, and in the 
Rearing of her Children. 

In short, while the writer does not shrink from the per- 
formance of his delicate task, when this is necessary to 
the health and happiness of those for whom he writes, 



PREFACE. V 

he, at the same time, has a proper regard for that purity 
of sentiment, and that refinement of expression which are 
the brightest ornaments of womanhood. 

The great object of the work is the Preservation of 
Health, or the Prevention of Disease in Women, and 
in their offspring, thus opening up to them a highway 
of Health, wherein they may walk without fear of Dis- 
eases, Doctors, Drugs, or Death. 

For the other divisions of the work the publishers refer 
to the Author's preface. They will, however, add a few 
words as to the fourth and fifth parts. 

Part TV. is devoted to Midwifery, and describes most 
of the Errors, Difficulties and Dangers to which 
Lying-in Women are exposed ; and tells how these diffi- 
culties may be overcome: How these Errors may be 
corrected : and How these Dangers may be Avoided. 

By following the directions herein contained, women 
oa# escape almost all the Dreaded Diseases and Acci- 
dents of Child-bed; and should any difficulty arise, it 
can generally be met and Removed without the aid of 
a Doctor : or life may be saved in sudden and danger- 
ous emergencies by the simple means advised, until medi- 
cal aid can be obtained. 

The lives of many women have already been saved by 
learning from this book what to do for themselves, 
when no assistance could be had. 

Again, women may learn from this part of the work 
the sweetest, the most important, and the most com- 
forting LESSON OF THEIR LIVES, viz. : 

That the pains of Childbirth are not the direct ef- 
fect of a Curse from God ; and that* these pains may be 
avoided by obedience to the laws of health, and by 
carrying out the preparatory course prescribed in another 
part of the work. 

1* 



VI PREFACE. 

In short, obedience to the rules given in this work will 
enable mothers to escape most of the Diseases of Preg- 
nancy, and the Pains and Dangers of Childbirth ; and 
all this without the aid of any Drug. 

Then Part V., which treats of the Hygiene, Nursing, 
and principal Diseases of Children, will prepare mothers 
for the discharge of their duties, by qualifying them to 
meet intelligently the difficulties connected with the nurs- 
ing and rearing of children. 

This part is entirely new, and has been written expressly 
for this edition, so as to make the work complete in all 
its parts, and in its adaptation to all the phases and stages 
of woman's Physical Life as Maiden, Wife and Mother. 

TO SUM UP, THEN, the work teaches all that is 
necessary for women to know, as to their own peculiar 
structure, functions and diseases ; how to prevent such 
diseases, or how to remove them if present, without the 
use of drugs ; how to regulate the number of offspring, 
when necessary; how to conceive vigorous, healthy 
children; how to educate them before birth; how 
mothers may escape disease themselves, while bear- 
ing children, and bring them forth sound, healthy and 
beautiful, without danger, and almost without pain ; 
how to nurse, train, and treat children when sick or 
well, so that they may live to enjoy the heritage of health 
and long life, bequeathed to them by mothers who con- 
ceived, bore, nursed, and educated them in accordance 
with the only true science of Health, Happiness and 
Long Life, as taught in this work. 



PREFACE. 



This work is intended specially for women, and is 
divided into five parts. 

Part I. contains an outline of the Structure and Func- 
tions of the human body, so far as this may be necessary 
to understand and apply the succeeding general and spe- 
cial precepts of Hygiene. The Sexual Anatomy and Phy- 
siology of Woman are treated more in detail; but all 
useless revelations are avoided ; the object being not to 
minister to a prurient curiosity, but to communicate to 
women only that knowledge of their physical life and or- 
ganization which is essential to their health and happiness. 

Part II. is devoted to Hygiene, or the Preservation of 
Health. This constitutes a prominent feature of the suc- 
ceeding pages : the Laws of Health are explained and en- 
forced, and the great truth is inculcated, that prevention 
is better than cure — that disease is a natural consequence 
of violated physiological laws, and therefore avoidable by 
obedience to those laws ; and that this obedience is a moral 
obligation — one of the first great ditties of life. This 
part, while it is intended more especially for women, con- 
tains some things that might be profitably read by all. 

Part III. embraces the Causes, Symptoms, and Treat- 
ment of the Principal Diseases of Women. 

(yii) 



Till PREFACE. 

In writing this, we have not expected, or attempted, to 
make every one an adept in all the mysteries of medical 
science; nor have we endeavored to foster the humbug 
notion that " every one may be his own physician." We . 
have simply tried to communicate that knowledge which 
is attainable by every person of ordinary intelligence, and 
which every woman, and especially every mother, should 
possess — that knowledge which will give the ability to 
distinguish many diseases in their early stages, while yet 
amenable to treatment — and to pursue a rational, safe and 
efficient course for their removal, instead of resorting to a 
medley of dangerous recipes administered at haphazard. 
And should the efforts for the removal of disease be un- 
availing, it is hoped and believed that the readers of this 
work can better decide when to send for a physician, and 
for whom to send. Thus may they be enabled to avoid 
the fatal error of sending for a physician toe late ; and, 
on the other hand, they may escape the scarcely less 
grave mistake of sending for some ignorant pretender, 
wholly unworthy of the responsible trust committed to 
him. 

A most important peculiarity of the treatment pre- 
scribed in this work is the prominence given to Nature's 
remedies — the hygienic agents, air, water, food, the pas- 
sions, etc., etc. These are made the prime, the principal 
remedies for the cure of disease. In almost all medical 
books written heretofore, for both physicians and people, 
these agencies have been either wholly overlooked, or they 
have had only a secondary place.* Medical writers, with 



* True, several popular medical works have been published of late ; hut these 
have unduly magnified the hygienic agents, by making them the sole remedies. 
The peculiarity of this work consists in giving these remedies their proper place 
in combination with others equally safe, and sometimes necessary. In short, ex- 
clusivism. is avoided. True science is eclectic. 



PREFACE. IX 

very few exceptions, have failed to teach the great truth 
that prevention is better than cure ; while their curative 
agents have consisted of the most active drugs, which are 
highly dangerous in the hands of the unskilful, and wholly 
inadmissible in ordinary domestic practice. Hence the 
almost universal ignorance and disregard of health ; hence 
the prevailing incredulity as to the power and safety of 
Nature's remedies; hence the general belief in specifics 
and cure-alls ; hence the delusion that the whole secret of 
medicine consists in swallowing pills, powders and mix- 
tures; hence the fatal abuses of medicine in domestic 
practice; hence the gross impositions of quackery; and 
hence the broken-down constitutions, the withered beauty, 
the premature old age, the early graves, the miseries un- 
told, the diseases innumerable, and the frightful mortality 
of the civilized world. The fatal errors that have led to 
results so disastrous, we have studiously endeavored to 
avoid. This book teaches that strong and dangerous 
drugs should be banished from domestic practice, and that 
the milder remedies of this class, together with the hygi- 
enic agents, should constitute the great staples of home 
treatment. 

Part IV. is devoted to the Diseases and Accidents of 
Child-bed, and the Special Hygiene of Lying-in Women. 
The information herein imparted will be of incalculable 
benefit in guarding women against the evils arising from 
ignorance and malpractice on the part of attendants, and 
in enabling them to assist themselves in the absence of 
any other aid. 

Part Y. treats of the Hygiene and Principal Diseases 
of Children, and the Nursing Life of Woman. This is 
a most important addition which has been made to this 
edition, making the work, in connection with the other 
parts, truly a comprehensive " Home Book " for woman. 



X PREFACE. 

embracing, as it does, all the essential features and phases 
of her physical life, as Maiden, Wife and Mother. 

Besides this part, this edition contains most valuable 
new matter, on Conception ; the Limitation of Offspring ; 
the Procreation of Beautiful and Healthy Children ; Pro- 
cured Abortion ; and the prevention of the Diseases of 
Pregnancy, and the Pains of Childbirth, without the use 
of drugs. 

Necessity for the Work. — After what has been said, 
it is needless to multiply words on this point. While 
woman has shared the evils to which we have adverted, 
in common with the rest of the human family, her suffer- 
ings have been of a peculiar and aggravated nature. This 
is the result of her dependent condition — of the peculiari- 
ties of her physical organization — of the special duties 
imposed on her as a mother — and above all, of her blind 
subserviency to the unreasonable restrictions, and the 
health-destroying fashions and customs of society. And 
yet, while thus exposed in an eminent degree to disease, 
her dependence on man for aid and counsel, and her na- 
tive modesty, subject her to peculiar disadvantages in 
seeking relief. This work is intended to obviate some 
of those difficulties ; and we are sure that those for 
whom it is designed will gladly welcome a friend that will 
forewarn them of the dangers at which we have hinted — 
that will show them the way of health — and that may be 
consulted under the most trying and delicate circum- 
stances without the least reserve. Women, by virtue of 
their natural and social relations, have more to do with 
health and disease, than all the doctors in the world ; they 
are our nurses in sickness; they are the mothers and 
trainers of our children ; and hence they can do more to 
remove the diseases that afflict the human family than all 
the world besides. How important then, that they should 



PREFACE. XI 

be put in possession of that medical and hygienic knowl- 
edge which will qualify them for the great duties devolv- 
ing upon them. 

Atlanta, Ga., August, 1873, 



Note. — Some questions, not entirely devoid of interest, 
yet not meriting an extended notice in the body of this 
work, are briefly considered on page 436, to which the 
reader is referred. Some of the most important subjects 
of the notes may be mentioned here. They are these: 
The Marriageable Age. Shall Cousins Marry? Shall 
Whites and Blacks Inter-marry ? Shall Different Nations 
Inter-marry? The Hygiene of Puberty. The Time of 
the Year to Marry. Shall Husband and Wife Sleep To- 
gether ? Beautiful Children, etc., etc. 



CONTENTS. 

PART FIRST. 
STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS OF THE HUMAN BODY. 

CHAPTER I. — ANATOMY OF THE HUMAN BODY. 

Anatomy defined — Anatomical and chemical constituents — Struc- 
ture of bones — Bones of chest and spine — Structure and motions 
of spine — The muscles— Their nature and uses — Muscles of ex- 
pression — The nerves — Divisions of the nervous system — The 
brain — Divisions of the vascular system — The heart — The 
veins — The capillaries— The lymphatics— The skin — The lungs 
— Structure of the lungs — The pleura — The larynx and trachea 
— The digestive canal — The stomach — The bowels— The liver 
—The kidneys, . . 2.5-36 

CHAPTER IT. — THE FUNCTIONS OF TITH BODY — PITYSTOLOGY. 
Man a mass of little cells — The min 1 — Two divisions of mind — 
How ideas are formed — Power and happiness— The Benses — 

Sense of smell— Does not always protect against disease — In- 
fluenced by snuff— Sense of Bight— Offices of different parts of 

the eye — The pupil in disease — The sense of hearing — Princi- 
ples on which the ear is made— The sense of taste— Influenced 
by education— The sense of touch, its seat, &c. — Digestion— 

The different stages — Gastric juice— Stomach, how restored — 
Drinks, their temperature, &c— Quantity of gastric juice — Salt, 
&c— Over-eating— How fluids are absorbed by the stomach — 
We should follow Nature — Absorption and circulation — The 
lacteals and lymphatics— Circulation of the blood— The pulse — 
Respiration— Respiration defined — Office of the lungs — Com- 
position of the atmosphere — Changes of the blood by respiration 
— The air-cells— The breathing capacity— Principal agents in 
2 (13; 



14 CONTENTS. 

breathing — Proportion between breathing and pulse — Heat, a 
uniform standard — Nutrition — The grand finishing process — 
What we know about nutrition — Some of the diseases of 
nutrition — How often is the body renewed ? — The different 
secretions— The mucous secretion — Woman's tears — Excretion 
from the skin — Urinary excretion — Stone and gravel — The 
evacuations from the bowels — Vicarious action — Important 
rule, 36-52 

CHAPTER III.— DESCRIPTION OF THE SEXUAL ORGANS OP WOMAN, 
OR THE AGENTS OF PROPAGATING LIFE. 

The bony pelvis — The cavity of the pelvis — External organs of 
generation — The mons veneris — The labia majora — Diseases — 
Modesty — Health — The breasts — Internal organs of generation 
— The vagina — The womb — The ovaries— The fallopian tubes 
—The bladder— The rectum, 52-56 

CHAPTER IV. — OFFICES OF THE SEXUAL ORGANS, OR THE MANNER 
OF PROPAGATING LIFE. 

The ll courses" — The marriageable age — Time for the " courses" 
— Duration of menstrual life — What the monthly discharge in- 
dicates — Early marriages — Length of each menstrual period — 
Influence of the moon, &c. — Healthy discharge not painful — 
Girls should know these things — Secret bad habits— Reproduc- 
tion — The germ or seed — When conception is most likely to 
occur, 57-04 

CHAPTER V. — LIMITATION OF OFFSPRING. 

Over-production — Evils of— Disease and deformity a cause for 
prevention — Moral aspects of prevention — Difference between 
prevention and abortion — The Bible teaching — Plea for pre- 
vention in behalf of morals — Restraint as a remedy — Influence 
of nursing — A warning against injections, &c. — Hints to wives 
desiring children — The kind of bed — Strong feeling not neces- 
sary for conception — When conception is most likely to occur — 
Influence of the seasons — Exciting the breasts — Over-excite- 
ment and apathy — Rest after indulgence — Sterility caused by 
disease — Beauty, sex, twins— How to have beautiful children — 
The sexes at will— How twins come, .... 65-79 



CONTENTS. 15 



PART SECOND. 

PRESERVATION OF HEALTH, OR THE MEANS OF PRO- 
LONGING LIFE. 

CHAPTEB I. — VARIOUS MATTERS. 

Health neglected— Providence slandered— Our belief— The laws 
of health— Blind leaders, &c— Patent medicine certificates— A 
great difficulty — Knowledge increasing— Wilful violation — A 
fatal delusion— Fruits of obedience— Disease banished — 
Woman's sufferings, • 83-88 

CHAPTER II.— OF AIR. 

Composition of the air — Crowded rooms — The air of cities — 
Can nothing be done ? — What women can do — Capacity of the 
lungs— Effects of impure air, &c. — Sedentary habits— Seam- 
stresses — Fashionable ladies — Intense mental application — 
Light reading — Bad positions— Means of expanding the lungs 
— Tends to promote health — Directions for the sedentary- 
Directions for those who have more leisure — Women should 
not submit to restraints — Change of air — No advantage in 
change in itself— Means of purifying the air — Private rooms, 
fires, ventilation — Fire-places and stoves — Smoking lamps, &c. 
— How to purify the air — Sleeping-rooms — Bad colds — Night 
air— Late suppers, 88-105 

CHAPTER III. — OF LIGHT. 

Effects of light on plants, &c— How it acts on animal life— Veiled 
ladies— Shade trees, 105-106 

CHAPTER IV.— OF DRINKS. 

Nature's beverage — Uses of water to the economy — The quan- 
tity of water required — Time for' drinking — Temperature of 
drinks— A warning to women— Artificial drinks — Wines, cor- 
dials, &c. — Tea and coffee — Our views — Properties of tea and 
coffee — Effects of tea and coffee on women and children- 
Total abstinence — Chocolate— Hot-water tea — Acidulous 



16 CONTENTS. 

drinks, ale, porter, &c— Mineral waters— Composition — Not 
required by well people — Cases in which chalybeates are ap- 
propriate — Health-destroying customs at watering places — 
Mineral waters beneficial — Purity of different kinds of water 
— Minerals not injurious — Purity of rain water, &c. — Modes 
of purifying water, 106-122 

CHAPTER V. — OF DIET. 

Animal diet — Use and abuse — In what our errors consist — Diet 
for the sedentary and inactive — Beauty, health, and mind lost 
— Vinegar and grossness — A better way — Individual peculiari- 
ties as to diet — Acquired peculiarities — Other cases in illustra- 
tion — Another case— Wind-colic and stimulants— An impor- 
tant lesson — Climate and fat bacon — Elementary nature of 
foods — u Minerals" — Variety and bulk necessary — Dieting — 
Nutritiveness and digestibility of foods — Firmness and density 
necessary to digestion — Animal foods — M Ik — Butter — Cheese 
— Vomiting in children— Eggs — Fish — Birds — Beef — Mutton, 
&c. — Cooking meats — The best mode — The worst mode — Fry- 
ing in the South — Roasting — Baking — Vegetable food — Wheat 
— Light bread — How acids and alkalis act — Are they whole- 
some ? — Fermented bread — Unleavened bread most wholesome 
— Fine flour — Use of wheat husks— Receipt for making bread 
— Hot and cold bread — Decayed teeth — Cakes — Dumplings, 
&c. — Corn bread, hominy — Dyspepsia, &c. — Rice — Best mode 
of cooking — In bowel affections — Peas — Beans — Roots — 
41 Bacon and eollards" — Fruits, how eaten — Stone fruits, 
apples, &c. — Melons — Action on the kidneys — Rules general — 
How to manage the stomach — Condiments — What they are — 
Salt, how it acts — Salt bacon — Vinegar and aromatics, &c. — 
A rule for the condiments — The best sauce — Times of eating — 
Breakfast and fluids — A bad breath — Drinking early in the 
morning — Dinner — Heavy suppers — Quantity of food, &c. — 
Not determined according to Gulliver — Effects of over-eating 
— Too many dishes, 122-153 

CHAPTER VI. — OF TEMPERATURE. 

How we are warmed — Artificial heat — Warming rooms — "Bad 
colds" — Climate— Southern women, . • • 154-159 



CONTENTS. IT 

CHAPTER Yn.- OF EXERCISE. 

Necessary consequences of neglect. — How girls are raised — 
Boarding-schools for young ladies — Exercise among the 
fashionables — The hope of our country — Manner of exer- 
cising — Time of exercising — Extent and objects of exercise, 

159-169 

CHAPTER YIII. — OF SLEEP. 

What is sleep ? — Time for sleep — Fashionable parties— How long 
should we sleep ? — Beds — Fires, &c. — Position — Night-caps — 
Dreams of bliss, 169-17& 

CHAPTER IX. — OF DRESS. 

Dress necessary — Its abuses— The law of dress— Bonnets — Low 
dresses — Tight dresses — Pointed waists — Reasons for tight 
bodies, &c. — How to acquire a good carriage — Thin shoes — 
How to protect the feet — Hoop-skirts — Long dresses — Under- 
garments — Cooling off— Management of the hair — Origin of 
the fashions— Rules to be hung over every lady's looking- 
glass, 178-18& 

CHAPTER X.— OF BATHING. 

Bathing necessary — Manner in which water acts — The different 
kinks of baths — Temperature and time of bathing — Swim- 
ming — Means of procuring reaction, &c. — Objections to bath- 
ing, 186-193 

CHAPTER XI.— OF THE EXCRETIONS. 

Nature of the excretions — The avacnations from the kidneys 
and bowels — Means of regulating the bowels, &c. — Rules for 
the regulation of the excretions, .... 194-197 

CHAPTER XII. — MENTAL HYGIENE. 

Connection between mind and body — Influence of the mind in 
woman—The ruling passion — Dangers to which women are 
exposed — Works of fiction — Theatres, &c. — Consolations of 
religion — Influence of the depressing passions — Elevating 
passions — Amusements— Religion, &c, . . . 198-20$ 
B 2* 



18 CONTENTS. 



PAET THIRD. 

DISEASES PECULIAR TO WOMAN, OR DISORDERS OF 
HER PHYSICAL LIFE. 

CHAPTER I. — OF DISEASE IN GENERAL. 

What is disease ? — Causes of Disease — Treatment of disease — 
Two principles — The domestic treatment of disease — Abuse of 
medicine, &c. — Medical books for the people — Water as a 
remedy — Manner in which the warm bath acts — Choosing a 
physician, 207-220 

CHAPTER II. — DISEASES OP EXTERNAL GENITALS. 

Inflammation defined, &c. — Inflammation of the privates — In- 
flammation of the mucous membrane of the external privates 
— Itching of the privates — Tumors of the external privates — 
Deformities of the privates — Union of the lips of the privates 
—Enlarged clitoris, &c, . . \ . 221-226 

CHAPTER III. — FUNCTIONAL DISORDERS OP THE VAGINA AND 
WOMB— THE MENSTRUAL LIFE OF WOMAN. 

Leucorrhcea or "whites 17 — Absence and suppression of the 
courses — Simple absence of the menses — Absence of the men- 
ses with leucorrhoea — Suppression or stoppage of the menses — 
Painful menstruation — Excessive flow of the menses — Effects 
of disordered menstruation — Green-sickness, . . 226-249 

CHAPTER IV. — HYGIENE OF MENSTRUATION. 

Directions as to young girls, &c. — The " change of life." 

249-252 

CHAPTER V. — ORGANIC DISEASES OF THE WOMB. 

Inflammation of the womb — Chronic inflammation and ulcera- 
tion — Tumors and other collections in the womb — Nature of 
the tumors— Polypous tumors — Air and water in the womb— 



CONTENTS. 19 

Malignant diseases of the womb— Cancer — Corroding ulcer 
and cauliflower excrescence — Falling of the womb — Falling 
of the womb backward, • 252-272 

CHAPTER VI. — SYMPTOMS OF PREGNANCY AND HYGIENE OF 
GESTATION — THE CHILD-BEARING LIFE OF WOMAN. 

The features— The nipples— The moral feelings— The menses— 
The urine — Quickening— Hygiene of pregnancy — Pregnancy 
a natural healthy condition and not a disease — Disease may 
be avoided, &c— Changes in the womb— Changes in various 
parts — Air— Clothing— Diet— Drinks— Snuff— Bleeding— Pur- 
gatives — Exercise — Sleep — Disgusting sights — Influence of the 
mind on the child before birth— Bathing — Position— Conjugal 
relations during pregnancy — The cold bath in, . 272-284 

CHAPTER VII. — DISEASES OP PREGNANCY, OR TROUBLES IN THE 
CHILD-BEARING LIFE OF WOMAN. 

Dropsical swelling of the privates — Discharges from the vagina — 
Inflammation of the womb— Toothache — Salivation — Longings 
— Loss of appetite, &c. — Sick-stomach — Heartburn — Cramp in 
the stomach and bowels — Vomiting blood — Constipation — Piles 
— Looseness of the bowels — Palpitation of the heart — Fainting 
fits — Cough and difficulty of breathing — Sleeplessness — Low 
spirits — Headache— Hysteric fits — Convulsions in pregnancy — 
Pains in the breast — Relaxation of the abdomen and ruptures 
— Inability to hold the urine — Difficulty in passing water — 
Cramps in various parts — Enlarged veins — Swelled legs — 
Abortion or miscarriage — Procured abortion — Prevalence of — 
How women view it — A confession — Dangers of — How pre- 
vented—False conceptions— Moles, . . . 285-314 



20 CONTENTS. 



PART FOURTH, 

MIDWIFERY AND DISEASES OF CHILD-BED — THE 
CHILD-BIRTH LIFE AND TRIALS OF WOMAN. 

CHAPTER I. — OF THE CHILD IN THE WOMB. 

Mode of attachment, &c. — Diseases of the foetus — Signs of the 
death of the foetus, 317-318 

CHAPTER II. — OF LABOR PAINS. 

€hild-birth not necessarily painful — Teachings of Physiology — 
Of observation — A better way then chloroform — Nervous ar- 
rangement of the womb — Pains result of morbid irritability — 
Causes of excessive sensibility — How negroes and Indians bear 
children — Cases of easy child-birth — Objections answered — 
Opinions of doctors and clergymen — Of women — The Bible 
argument — The "curse" — False theology, . • 319-337 

CHAPTER III. — NATURAL LABOR. 

What is natural labor ?— The presenting part — Time for labor — 
Causes of labor — Symptoms of approaching labor — Stages of 
actual labor, 337-342 

CHAPTER IV.— MANAGEMENT OF NATURAL LABOR. 

Meddlesome midwifery — Position of the woman — Making the 
bed — The chamber, diet, drinks, &c. — The bowels and bladder 
— Moral management — Assistance in the last stage — Manage- 
ment of the child— Delivery of the after-birth, . 342-350 

CHAPTER V. — MANAGEMENT OF WOMEN AFTER DELIVERY. 

How they are generally managed — Directions for women after 
delivery — How long should a woman remain in bed ? 351-356 

CHAPTER VI. — SOME OF THE DISEASES AND ACCIDENTS OF LABOR 
AND CHILD-BED. 

Flooding — Wrong presentations or cross-births — Convulsions or 
fits — Derangements of the lochia and after-pains — Child-bed 
fever — Inflammation of the breasts and sore nipples — Milkleg, 

356-365 



CONTENTS. 21 



PART FIFTH. 

THE HYGIENE AND PRINCIPAL DISEASES OF CHIL- 
DREN, AND THE NURSING LIFE OF WOMAN. 

CHAPTER I. — HYGIENE OF INFANCY AND CHILDHOOD— THE MA- 
TERNAL LIFE OF WOMAN. 

Influence of mother before birth — After birth — Importance of 
health in mother — Milk how affected — Children suffer for sins 
of parents — Responsibilities of parents — Dressing the cord — 
Washing and bathing children — Children should be accustomed 
to water from birth — The cold bath — Dressing the cord — Cloth- 
ing of children — Three great essentials — Dressing arms and 
legs — Head and hair of infants — Brush and water — Cut hair 
short — Food and drinks of children— Child should be put to 
breast early — Diet before weaning — Milk only proper diet — 
Stuffing children — Injuries from — Diet after weaning — Diet too 
concentrated — Too much meat — Vegetable diet best — Reasons 
for — Infants suffer for water — Effects of tea and coffee on chil- 
dren — Raising children by hand and weaning — Time for wean- 
ing — Why women cannot nurse — Mothers should nurse their 
children — Pleasures of nursing women — Incentives to nurse 
— Difficulties of raising by hand — Best food — Manner of giving 
it — When to give the milk— Should be given at regular times- 
Wet nurses and nursing women — How to choose a wet nuise — 
Disposition of nurse— Effects of her habits on milk— Diet and 
drinks of nursing women — Wholesome food in moderation — 
Vegetable preferable— Water best drink— Stimulants to be 
avoided— Drugging nursing woman — Effects on blood and milk 
— Air and exercise of nursing women— Should exercise much in 
open air— Some of the difficulties of nursing women— Child 
refuses to suck— Drawing out nipple— Ulcerated or fissured 
nipples— Deficient secretion of milk— Remedy— Excessive secre- 
tion—Remedy—Sleep of children— Use of opiates— Injurious 
effects of— Hygienic remedies— The warm bath, etc— Sleeping 
rooms for children— Beds— Curtains— Air and exercise for chil- 
dren—Air the first want— Children should be carried out early 



22 CONTENTS. 

— Manual exercise for children— How performed — Vaccination 
— Importance of— Early performance — When repeated — Num- 
ber of points— The great law of nature — Neglect of this law — 
Troubles from — Danger of nursing at night — Meals at regular 
times — Advantages to mother and child — Moral management 
of children — Should be governed by love and respect — Truth- 
fulness — Candor — Firmness — Do not pay them to cry — Teach 
them to pray, 369-417 

CHAPTER II. — SOME OF THE DISEASES OF CHILDREN. 

Teething of children — Time of teething — Symptoms — Looseness 
of bowels — Dangers of— Treatment — Attention to the gums — 
— Prescription for the diarrhoea of — Convulsions of teething 
children — Colds — Nature and seat — Causes — Symptoms — 
Treatment — Croup — Seat — Causes — Symptoms — Treatment — 
Nose bleeding — Remedies for — How caused — Worms — Abuse 
of vermifuges — No reliable symptoms — Treatment tor — Ked 
wetting — Very difficult to cure — Causes — Remedies for — No 
punishment in — Indigestion — Vomiting common in infants — 
Remedies for — Eruptive fevers — Warm bath main remedy — 
Errors in treatment — Diminished mortality un ler improved 
treatment — Hooping cough — Treated by hygienic means — 
Chestnut leaves in — Sores behind the ears— Should not be 
dried up — Cleanliness and soothing remedies, . 417-435 



NOTES. 

The marriageable age — Shall cousins intermarry ? — Shall whites 
and blacks intermarry ? — Shall different nationalities inter 
marry ? — Temperaments and marriage — Dangers of kissing — 
Time of month and year for marriage — Shall husband and wife 
sleep together ?— Hygiene of puberty — Beautiful children, 

436-440 



PART FIRST. 

A BEIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE STEUCTUKE 
AND FUNCTIONS OF THE HUMAN BODY. 

WITHOUT SOME KNOWLEDGE OF ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY, DIREC- 
TIONS FOR THE PRESERVATION OF HEALTH CANNOT BE UNDERSTOOD 
OR APPRECIATED — SYMPTOMS ARE WITHOUT MEANING, AND THE 
USE OF REMEDIES IS A BLIND EXPERIMENT. 



(23) 



CHAPTER I. 
ANATOMY OF THE HUMAN BODY. 

Anatomy defined, &c. — Anatomy treats of the 
structure of organized bodies, such as plants and ani- 
mals. These are called organized, because they 
consist of an assemblage of parts or organs, associated 
together for the performance of special offices. The 
union of several organs for the accomplishment of 
one or more ends constitutes a system, as the nervous 
system, composed of the brain, spinal cord, nerves, 
&c. : the blood-vessel system, consisting of the heart, 
arteries, and veins, &c, &c. 

Anatomical and Chemical Constituents. — The 
human body consists anatomically of solids and fluids : 
Chemically, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon, and 
lime are the principal constituents; while iron, sul- 
phur, sodium, and several other elements are consi- 
dered essential components by most physiologists. 
These chemical elements, variously combined, form 
the different tissues, as the muscular tissue, the ner- 
vous tissue, &c, &c. The fluids constitute much the 
larger portion of the human body : the principal fluids 
are the blood, chyle, lymph, spittle, gastric juice, bile, 
sweat, urine, &c. 

3 (25) 



26 THE BONES. 



The Bones. 

Their Structure. — Bones are formed of cartilage, 
or gristle, and lime principally. The gristle gives 
form, and the lime gives firmness. When the lime is 
in excess, the bones are brittle and easily broken, as 
is often the case with old people. In children the 
bones are soft and flexible, and hence mothers should 
not encourage their children in premature efforts at 
walking, if they would avoid bow-legs and knock- 
knees. The bones are supplied with blood-vessels, 
and, though destitute of sensibility in a healthy state, 
are highly sensitive when diseased. 

The human skeleton is composed of 246 bones, not 
counting some of the smaller ones. 

The Bones of the Chest and Spine. — These bones, 
through the fashions and habits of modern society, are 
much exposed to injury, and therefore it is important 
that every woman should know something of their 
structure. The bony chest or "breast" consists of 
twelve ribs on each side, of a portion of the back-bone 
behind, and of the broad, flat breast-bone in front, be- 
tween the ends of the ribs. The upper ribs are attached 
to the back-bone behind and to the breast-bone in front 
by cartilage or gristle ; while the lower ribs are not 
united directly to this bone, but are connected with 
each other by gristle, or float loosely without support 
in front. The ribs are placed obliquely, the front end 
being lower than the one behind. It will be readily 
seen then how compressible the chest must be, for the 
cartilages easily yield to any force from without, and 
thus the ribs are depressed and the cavity of the chest 
diminished. The lungs within being as unresisting as 



THE MUSCLES. 27 

air itself, the chest may be compressed almost indefi- 
nitely; and especially if this be done gradually, so 
that the vital organs within may accommodate them- 
selves to their diminished space. 

Structuke and Motions of the Spine. — The ver- 
tebral column or " back-bone" consists of twenty-four 
bones, each united to the other by an elastic, compressi- 
ble cushion. The spine is the central axis of the body, 
and sustains the whole weight of the head, trunk, and 
arms. Each separate bone composing this column has 
a certain degree of motion, one on the other. And 
though the motion of each bone is very small, yet it 
is manifest that a very slight yielding of all would 
cause considerable bending of the spine. Besides this 
•the back-bone naturally bends forward about the 
middle, and it is therefore not surprising that weak- 
ness and relaxation of the muscles of the back should 
so increase this natural curve as to cause actual 
disease and deformity ; for these muscles are the prin- 
cipal agents in keeping the spine erect. Shall we then, 
even indirectly, cast an imputation on the work of the 
great Architect ? No ; for though the spine bends 
forwards, it is done for a wise purpose,, and the liga- 
ments and muscles are amply sufficient to keep the 
spine from bending forward too much, if they are not 
paralyzed by inaction, or compression. 

The Muscles. 
" That soft, fibrous, red-colored substance which 
constitutes so large a portion of the volume of the 
more perfect animals, is called flesh or muscle" 
This flesh, or muscular tissue, is composed of bun- 
dies of fibres of variable size, enclosed in a mem- 



28 THE MUSCLES. 

brane or sheath : these bundles are composed of 
smaller bundles enclosed in the same way, and 
these again of ultimate microscopic fibrils, each 
enclosed in a very delicate membrane. All these 

bundles and fibres are held together by a delicate 
web -like tissue, and this tissue also lies between the 
different muscles and the skin. The muscles are 
attached to the bones by glistening cords called tendons 
or " sinews." The fixed point of a muscle is called 
its origin, and the movable, its insertion. The muscles 
are not only the agents by which we perform all our 
voluntary movements — they play an important part 
in digestion, circulation, &c. ; for the heart is a hollow 
muscle, while the stomach, bowels, bladder, and other 
organs are each provided with muscles which do their 
work without the agency of our will. As already 
intimated, the muscles have much to do with keeping 
the body erect, and in preventing it from falling for- 
ward. The large muscles on the back part of the leg, 
thigh, loins, and spine are the principal agents in 
maintaining the erect position, and if these muscles 
are enfeebled by inaction or compression, deformity 
and ungracefulness must inevitably ensue. The mus- 
cles have much to do with the expression ; for while 
the immortal mind is the sunlight of the features, the 
muscles which compose those features may be com- 
pared to the polished plate of the Daguerrean, for on 
them the lights and shadows of the mind are per- 
manently engraved : they reflect not only the transient 
gleam of passion, but they are the living, speaking 
embodiments of those feelings that habitually sway 
the heart. 

The Muscles of Expkession. — The most expres- 



THE NERVES. 29 

sive muscles are some very small ones, with very 
long names, about the nose and mouth. 

Those who would cultivate beauty should never 
forget that the lights and shadows of the face are 
not always like summer clouds and sunshine — that 
indulgence in evil passions will give the coun- 
tenance a permanent wintery hue, while the oppo- 
site feelings will cause the features to glow in 
radiant smiles, or to rest in placid winning beauty, 
like moonbeams on an unruffled lake. Who has 
not observed the contrast between the depressed,, 
sharp, withered expression of grief and anxiety, and 
the elevated, smooth features of cheerfulness and mirth, 
even when the passions are hushed in the deep repose 
of profound sleep ? 

The Nerves. 

Divisions of the Nervous System. — There are 
two grand divisions of the nervous system : the cere- 
brospinal and the organic. The former includes the 
nerves of sensation and motion, the brain and spinal 
marrow : the latter embraces the nerves and ganglions 
that preside over the organic functions, and has there- 
fore been called the organic system. 

The Brain. — The brain fills the cavity of the skull : 
its principal divisions are the cerebrum, the cerebellum, 
and the medulla oblongata. The cavity of the skull is 
lined by a thick tough membrame (dura mater) which 
covers the brain and protects it from injury. 

The cerebrum is the seat of mind, and does not exist 

in the lower classes of animals. It constitutes much 

the larger portion of the brain, yet only a compari- 

tively small portion of it is appropriated to the mind. 

The cerebellum, or little brain, is situated in the lower 
3* 



30 THE ARTERIES, VEINS, AND LYMPHATICS. 

and back part of the cavity of the skull : in its general 
structure it resembles the cerebrum. The medulla 
oblongata may be considered as a prolongation of the 
spinal marrow into the skull, and is the connecting 
link between the brain and spinal marrow proper. 

The spinal marrow is that important portion of the 
nervous system which extends from the head down 
through the whole length of the back-bone. It gives 
origin to the nerves of feeling and motion distributed 
throughout the body. — The nerve fibre differs from 
the muscular, in being hollow ; and it is supposed that 
these exceedingly minute tubes are continuous from 
the origin of the nervous trunk to those inconceivably 
small ramifications spread out so thickly through 
every part of the body, that the point of a pin cannot 
be put down without touching one. In view of such a 
wonderful mechanism as this, well may we exclaim 
with astonishment, — 

" Strange that a harp of thousand strings, 
Should keep in tune so long." 

The organic nerves preside over the great vital func- 
tions of digestion, circulation, &c, but we cannot 
undertake to describe them. 

The Arteries, Veins, and Lymphatics. 

Divisions of the Vascular System. — This sys- 
tem consists of the heart, or central organ of circula- 
tion ; the blood-vessels, consisting of the arteries, veins, 
and capillaries ; and the lymphatics, or lymph-vessels. 

The Heart. — This important organ is situated in 
the left side of the chest between the lungs. It is 
divided into two auricles and two ventricles : an auricle 
and a ventricle form the right side of the heart, consti- 



THE ARTERIES, VEINS, AND LYMPHATICS. 31 

tilting the right auricle and the right ventricle ; and the 
structure of the left side is identical, and thus we have 
the left auricle and the left ventricle. From the heart 
proceed the arteries which convey the blood to every 
part of the body. The aorta, or great artery, begins 
at the left ventricle of the heart, and dividing into 
innumerable ramifications, conveys the blood to every 
part of the body. This is called the systemic circula- 
tion, because it supplies the system at large. From 
the right ventricle of the heart arises the pulmonary 
artery, which conveys the blood to the lungs, from 
whence it is returned by the pulmonary veins to the 
left auricle of the heart : this is the lesser, or 'pulmonary 
circulation. Each auricle communicates with its cor- 
responding ventricle by a beautiful valvular arrange- 
ment which prevents the blood from flowing back- 
wards; and a similar arrangement exists where the 
ventricles open into the arteries. The pulmonary 
artery divides into two main branches, one of which 
goes to each lung, and then these branches divide and 
subdivide until they reach those inconceivably minute 
ramifications which extend through the whole sub- 
stance of the lungs, and spread over the little air 
vesicles that form the termination of the bronchial 
tubes. 

The Veins. — The veins commence in exceedingly 
minute radicles or roots in every part of the system j 
and these roots or small streams unite to form larger 
and larger ones, until they finally terminate in two 
large veins that empty into the right auricle of the 
heart. One of these trunks ascends from below, and 
is called the great ascending vein : the other descends 
from above, and is called the great descending vein. 



32 THE SKIN. 

The Capillaries. — Between the small arterial 
branches and the beginning of the venous radicles is 
found that highly important system of vessels called 
the capillary, or hair-like, from their exceeding minute- 
ness. These vessels pervade every part of the body, 
and effect some of the most interesting and important 
changes of the animal economy. 

The Lymphatics. — The lymphatic vessels with the 
lacteals constitute the absorbent system. They are 
called lymphatics because they convey a colorless fluid 
destitute of red particles. The office of the absorbents 
is to collect the worn-out and waste matters from every 
part of the body, and the nutritive chyle from the 
bowels. It will be seen then that the absorbent sys- 
tem is composed of two classes or vessels : one class 
includes the lymphatics proper. These originate in a 
delicate network spread through almost every part of 
the body; and then, passing through the lymphatic 
glands, finally terminate in the thoracic duct, yet to 
be described. The chyle vessels begin in the upper 
part of the bowels, and also empty into the thoracic 
duct. 

Of the Skin. 

This important membrane is continuous with the 
mucous membrane that lines the internal cavities, as 
the lungs, the throat, the stomach, &c. The sympathy 
between these parts is very close, and should be well 
understood by all who would undertake the cure of 
disease. The skin is composed of an internal coat 
called the true skin and an external one called the 
scarf-skin. The true skin is abundantly supplied with 



INTERNAL VITAL ORGANS. 06 

blood-vessels, lymphatics, and nerves, the little emi- 
nences on its surface each containing minute vessels, 
&c. The scarf-skin is the very thin horny membrane 
spread over the true skin. This is perforated by 
innumerable small openings called pores, for the pas- 
sage of perspiration, &c. The nails and hair are part 
of the scarf-skin. The sebaceous glands of the skin 
secrete an oily fluid that keeps the skin smooth and 
soft. The little sweat-glands are very numerous, con- 
sisting of small tubes rolled up together. According 
to Mr. Erasmus Wilson, the number of pores which 
form the openings of these glands, average 2800 to 
every square inch throughout the body. From this 
it has been calculated that the number of perspiratory 
pores amounts to the enormous sum of seven millions, 
while the length of the tubes that form the perspiratory 
glands would be 28 miles. 

These figures are introduced to give some idea of 
the extent and importance of the secretion from the 
skin. 

The Internal Vital Organs. 

The Lungs. — The lungs or " lights/' with their ap- 
pendages, are the organs of voice and respiration or 
breathing. The lungs are placed in the cavity of the 
chest, on each side of the heart, which lies between 
them, and which has already been described. There 
are two lungs completely filling the cavity of the chest, 
with nothing between them and the ribs except the thin 
membrane called the pleura. The base or bottom of 
the lungs rests on the diaphragm or midriff. This 
diaphragm is a dense membrane that divides the lungs 
C 



34 INTERNAL VITAL ORGANS. 

from the stomach, liver, and other contents of the 
cavity of the belly. 

Structure of the Lungs. — In their structure the 
lungs are composed of the ramifications of the bronchial 
tubes — the minute divisions of the pulmonary artery 
and veins — of lymphatics, nerves, &c, the whole being 
held together by a delicate web-like tissue. This tissue 
constitutes the substance of the lungs, and is the seat 
of pneumonia. The bronchial tubes are the tubes into 
which the windpipe divides. They divide and sub- 
divide into exceedingly minute branches, and finally 
terminate in the air-cells. The pulmonary artery 
spreads its minute branches over the walls of these 
little cells, and thus the blood is oxygenized by the 
air, and converted into arterial blood. The lining of 
the bronchial tubes is the seat of the disease called 
bronchitis, which is an inflammation of the bronchial 
mucous membrane. 

The Pleura. — The pleura is a smooth, serous or 
watery membrane that lines the walls of the chest, and 
is then reflected or turned back in such a way as to 
form a complete covering for the lungs. The pleura 
secretes a watery fluid, intended to promote free motion 
between the lungs and the walls of the chest. This 
fluid is sometimes so increased by disease as to com- 
press and push back the lung, constituting dropsy of 
the chest. The water may gather on one side of the 
chest and not on the other. " Pleurisy" is an inflam- 
mation of the pleura. 

The Larynx and Trachea. — The larynx is the 
short, funnel-shaped, or hour-glass expansion which 
forms the opening from the windpipe into the throat. 



THE VITAL ORGANS. 35 

One of its cartilages constitutes the prominence in men 
known as " Adam's Apple." The larynx opens into 
the " gullet" by a small chink, the glottis, which is 
closed in the act of swallowing by a tongue-like 
cartilage called the epiglottis. This little valve or 
door can be seen when the mouth is widely opened 
and the tongue is pressed down. In the larynx are 
found the ligaments called vocal chords, intended to 
modulate the voice. 

The Digestive or Alimentary Canal. — This 
important canal commences at the mouth and termi- 
nates at the anus or " fundament." It consists of the 
mouth, the gullet, the swallow, the stomach, and the 
bowels. The bowels are divided into the large and 
small intestines. The upper part of the small intes- 
tines is called the duodenum, or lesser stomach, as 
digestion is completed in this part. The lower part 
of the large intestines is called the rectum or "straight 
gut." 

The Stomach. — This very important organ lies just 
below the midriff, and behind the depression beneath 
the breast-bone, known among the people as the " pit 
of the stomach." It has two openings : into one the 
swallow opens, and the other opens into that portion 
of the small bowels called the duodenum. The stomach 
is lined with a mucous membrane which is continuous 
from the mouth down to the fundament. The stomach 
and all the organs of the belly are covered with a 
serous or watery coat similar to the pleura. It has 
the same office as the pleura, and an accumulation of 
water in it constitutes " dropsy of the belly." 

The Bowels.— The bowels are about thirty feet 



36 THE FUNCTIONS OF THE BODY. 

long. Into the tipper portion empty the ducts of the 
liver and pancreas. The rectum, or straight gut, is the 
lowest part of the bowels, terminating in the anus. 
The whole intestinal canal is provided with muscles 
arranged in a circular manner, so as to propel the 
contents downwards by a slow gentle movement 
called the peristaltic motion. 

The Liver. — This organ is situated in the right side, 
just under the short ribs. The bile is conveyed into 
the duodenum by a common duct arising from the 
union of the duct from the liver and that from the 
gall-bladder. 



CHAPTER II. 

THE FUNCTIONS OF THE BODY—PHYSIOLOGY. 

Man a Mass of Little Cells. — All the varied forms 
of animal and vegetable life consist of a number of little 
cells united together in various ways: the muscles, 
nerves, arteries, veins, &c, &c, are but cells which 
have been modified in size and shape to answer some 
special purpose. We are led then to this startling 
conclusion : man in Ms pride of body and mind, with 
his symmetrical form, and his towering intellect, is 
nothing but a mass of little honey-comb cells, like the grass, 
or the tiny flower beneath his feet! Oh, the wisdom of 
the Divine Mind ! to accomplish such wonders with 
such simple materials ! Who but God could arrange 



PHYSIOLOGY. 37 

and aggregate a countless number of delicate and in- 
visible honey-comb cells in such a manner as to give 
form and motion, thought and feeling, and all the 
wonderful phenomena of life ! ! 

The Mind. — The cerebrum is conceded by all parties 
to be the seat of mind. The cerebellum seems to act 
as a kind of regulator of muscular movements. The 
brain is a double organ, one-half being the exact 
counterpart of the other. The brain, including all its 
parts, is the presiding centre of sensation, voluntary 
motion, and the passions or propensities. The convolu- 
tions on the external surface of the cerebrum are the 
seat of all the intellectual faculties. The cerebrum is 
found only in the higher order of animals, and in man 
only is it fully and perfectly developed. 

The mind must not be confounded with the soul : 
the latter is that divine, spiritual, immortal, and im- 
material principle which, acting through the brain, 
gives origin to all those manifestations, emotional and 
intellectual, embraced in the comprehensive word 
mind. 

Two Divisions of Mind. — All mental manifestations 
may be embraced under two heads : 1st. The Facul- 
ties ; and 2d. The Propensities. The former includes 
the intellectual powers, and the latter the passions or 
impulses that move to action. The faculties are sub- 
divided into the perceptive and reflective faculties; 
the propensities into the domestic, social, moral, &c. 

How Ideas are formed. — The propensities or emo- 
tional feelings are excited through the medium of the 
organs of sense, the eye, the ear, &c, and the impres- 
sions thus made become the materials of the higher 

4 



38 PHYSIOLOGY. 

mental processes belonging to the intellectual faculties. 
In other words, the impressions made through the 
senses, by which we hold communication with the 
external world, are the raw materials manufactured 
into ideas. Or, to extend the comparison, the brain 
may be considered as the complicated machinery of a 
steam-engine ; the soul is the steam that moves the 
machinery, while the senses, seeing, hearing, &c, are 
the feeders supplying the materials for the emotional 
feelings which are finally " worked up" into ideas by 
the intellectual powers. 

Power and Happiness. — The mind consists, then, 
essentially of faculties and feelings, or thoughts and 
affections. The high development of the former gives 
that knowledge which is power : the cultivation and 
proper direction of the latter confers a more desirable 
boon even than this : — right feeling is the source, and 
the only source, of that true happiness for which mor- 
tals sigh. From the cultivation of the domestic pro- 
pensities spring those pure and peaceful joys that 
cluster around family and home, — -joys that need only 
to be mentioned, to thrill the bosom of every true 
wife and mother. From the social feelings are realized 
all those delights originating in friendship and society. 
And above all, we have those high and holy moral 
feelings by which we are allied to angels, and to 
Divinity : feelings, which, when directed, subordinated, 
and controlled by religion, cause us to submit to the 
ills of life with patience and resignation ; which enable 
us to look upon the transitory things of earth as 
nothing, when compared with the joys of a higher, 
purer, better state of existence. 



SENSES OF SMELL AND SIGHT. 39 

The Senses.— Sense of Smell. 

Does not always protect against Diseases. — 
The sense of smell may be considered as a sentinel or 
outpost of the stomach; intended to guard the door of 
that important organ. It also serves to protect the 
respiratory passages by warning us of the presence of 
hurtful effluvia ; but its use in this way is more limited 
than we might suppose, from the fact that some of the 
most health-destroying aeriform emanations make no 
sensible impression on the nerves of smelling. This 
is particularly true of the effluvia that cause chill and 
fever, small-pox, measles, &c, &c. 

Smell injured by Snuff. — The sensibility of the 
nerve of smelling, is blunted and perverted by all 
strong irritating odors and substances. Hence those 
who would preserve all the senses which God has given 
them, should eschew the use of snuff, smelling-salts, 
&c. A good smell is necessary to a good taste, as is 
manifest to those who have been troubled much with 
"cold in the head." 

Sense of Sight. 

Offices of different Parts of the Eye. — The 
principal parts of the eye are the sclerotic coat, which 
gives form and firmness ; the cornea, in front of this, 
for the transmission of the rays of light; the iris, 
which by its contractions and expansions regulates 
the quantity of light ; the pupil, opening through the 
iris, and serving as a door for the admission of the 
luminous rays ; and the retina, or expansion of the 
optic nerve, on which the image of objects is repre- 
sented like the face in a glass. 

The Pupil m Disease. — The state of the pupil is a 



40 SENSES OF HEARING AND TASTE. 

valuable symptom in head affections. When the func- 
tions of the brain are interrupted by compression, 
apoplexy, opiates, &c, the pupil is dilated because the 
optic nerve, which is associated in action with the 
pupil, is less sensitive to light. On the other hand, 
when the brain is excited from inflammation, insanity, 
&c, the optic nerve becomes more sensitive, and the 
pupil contracts. Hence the necessity for darkening 
the room in such cases. 

The Sense of Hearing. 
Principles on which the Ear is made. — The 
whole complex structure of the ear has reference to 
two principles — the propagation of sonorous vibrations, 
and their multiplication by resonance. Sounds are 
gathered by the trumpet-shaped external ear, and then 
falling on the drum of the ear, this is thrown into 
vibrations, and these vibrations are communicated to 
the nerve of hearing by a little chain of bones, and 
many other nice arrangements which we cannot stop 
to describe. 

The Sense of Taste. 

Much influenced by Education. — No sense is 
more under the influence of education, than the taste, 
and none is more blunted, perverted, and depraved by 
bad habits. There can be but little doubt that the taste 
for coffee, tea, spirituous liquors, tobacco, and many spi- 
ces and condiments is acquired, and not natural. The 
object of taste is to minister to our gratification, and to 
direct us to some extent as to the suitableness of our 
food. But even in its natural unperverted state it can- 
not be considered as an unerring guide ; and if this be 



SENSE OF TOUCH. — DIGESTION. 41 

true, how unreliable must be the artificial tastes of civi- 
lized life ! 

Let not persistence, then, in the use of tobacco, spices, 
and highly seasoned food and drinks, be justified on 
the ground that the taste for these things is natural — 
that the desire for them exists, and therefore that they 
are necessary and harmless. If our natural unperverted 
taste must be directed and controlled by reason and 
experience, it is the extreme of folly to claim as 
infallible, the dictates of a sense which has been so 
blunted by habit as to require the stimulus of some 
unnatural excitant to arouse it to action. When the 
nerves of taste have been goaded by the over excite- 
ment of sharp, penetrating matters, they are just as 
incapable of a proper and healthful performance of 
their functions, as the eye is when dazzled by excessive 
light; or the ear, when stunned by the roar of a 

cannon. 

The Sense of Touch. 

Its Seat, &c. — The sense of touch exists in the skin 
generally, and more particularly in the lips, the tongue, 
and the tips of the fingers. 

Like all the other senses, the touch may be wonder- 
fully improved by education, as is proved by the read- 
ing of the blind by means of raised letters. It has 
been said that this sense has become so delicate in 
some blind persons as to enable them to distinguish 
colors by feeling ! 

Life-Sustaining Physiology— Digestion. 

The different Stages of Digestion. — Digestion 
is the process by which our food is converted into 
chyle, a white, milky fluid, which is finally changed 
into blood. By the act of chewing, the food is divided 



42 DIGESTION. 

and mixed with the saliva or spittle, and thus it is 
softened and prepared for the stomach. The food 
having been thus acted on in the mouth it is then 
swallowed, and in the stomach it comes in contact 
with the gastric juice, by which it is converted into a 
pulpy mass called chyme. This chyme then passes 
through the lower orifice of the stomach into the duo- 
denum, where, by the action of the bile, and pancreatic 
juice, it is changed into chyle. 

Gastric Juice — Stomach — How Bestored. — The 
gastric juice is an acid secretion of remarkable solvent 
powers. It is well known that pepsine (one of the 
constituents of gastric juice), obtained from the sto- 
machs of the lower animals, has been much recom- 
mended of late years, in dyspepsia or difficult digestion. 
But while the use of pepsine, &c, may palliate present 
symptoms, it should never be forgotten that this is 
only a temporary expedient, and that the tone of the 
stomach can be permanently restored only by attention 
to diet, drinks, and the laws of health generally. 

Drinks, Temperature, &c. — Temperature has 
much to do with digestion : Hence, the use of large 
quantities of cold water and ice at meals, or soon after, 
must retard digestion, both by reducing the tempera- 
ture of the stomach, and by diluting the gastric juice. 

Quantity of Gastric Juice, Salt, &c. — The quan- 
tity of gastric juice secreted, is not regulated by the 
amount of food taken, but by the wants of the system. 
And, " as only a definite quantity of food can be acted 
on by a given amount of gastric juice, any superfluity 
remains undissolved for some time — either continuing 
in the stomach until a fresh supply of the solvent is 
secreted, or passing into the intestinal canal (bowels) 



DIGESTION. 43 

in a crude state, and becoming a source of irritation, 
pain, and disease." The use of salt, pepper, mustard, 
and other stimulants, increases the quantity of gastric 
juice, but their constant or excessive use must finally 
interfere seriously with the digestive process, by caus- 
ing irritation, inflammation, or ulceration of the lining 
membrane of the stomach. 

Over-Eating. — The same effects will ensue from 
excessive indulgence in the pleasures of the table ; for 
however suitable and nutritious our food may be, any 
portion remaining undissolved, must be a source of 
irritation and disease. And though the effects of over- 
eating may not be immediately manifest, yet they will 
assuredly follow, sooner or later, in the form of dryness 
of the mouth, thirst, quick pulse, foul tongue, fever- 
ishness, and other symptoms indicating that the secre- 
tion of the digestive fluid is suspended, as a consequence 
of the constant and excessive excitement to which the 
stomach has been subjected. 

How Fluids are absorbed by the Stomach. — 
While the chyle passes from the duodenum into the 
circulation through a special set of vessels, water, and 
other things in a state of perfect solution are absorbed 
by the blood-vessels spread out on the mucous mem- 
brane of the stomach. This will account for the 
rapidity with which certain poisons affect the whole 
system — sometimes even before any symptoms of their 
action on the stomach are seen. 

We should follow Nature. — Hunger and thirst 
are indications of the natural wants of the system, and 
except in some rare cases, we should not eat nor drink 
unless we have these natural promptings. But, how 
often is this plain and reasonable law violated ! How 



44 ABSORPTION AND CIRCULATION. 

often do we eat and drink because it is fashionable, 
because we have nothing else to do, or for the mere 
gratification of the palate! And from thence pro- 
ceed 

" All maladies, 
Ghastly spasm, or racking torture, qualms 
Of heart-sick agony ; all feverish kinds ; 
Convulsions, epilipsies, fierce catarrhs ; 
Intestine stone and ulcers ; colic pangs, 
Demoniac phrenzy, moping melancholy, 
And moonstruck madness ; pining atrophy, 
Marasmus, and wide-wasting pestilence ; 
Dropsies and asthmas, and joint-racking rheums." 

Absorption and Circulation. 

The Lacteals and Lymphatics. — The lacteals take 
up the chyle from the small intestines, and thus it enters 
the circulation of the blood, for the replenishment of 
this fluid. (For an account of the Lymphatics see 
page 30.) 

Circulation of the Blood — The Pulse. — The 
arteries convey the bloo&from the heart, the veins return 
it to that organ ; and between the arteries and veins is a 
system of vessels called the capillaries. The pulse is 
caused by the contraction of the heart propelling the 
blood through the artery. The pulse is most frequent 
in infancy, and gradually diminishes in frequency 
with the advance of age. In early life the pulsations 
are from 100 to 130 in a minute ; in old age from 50 
to 65, while the average of middle life is from 65 to 
75. As a general rule the pulse is more frequent in 
women than in men ; the average in a woman of mid- 
dle age being from 75 to 85. As the pulse is a very 
important symptom in disease, it is highly necessary 
to know something of its natural frequency. 



RESPIBATION. 45 

Respiration. 

Kespiration defined. — Kespiration, or breathing, 
is that function by which the blood is aerated, purified, 
and fitted for the important offices for which it is 
designed as the vital, nourishing, repairing, and all- 
sustaining " circulating fluid." 

Office of the Lungs. — The lungs have a twofold 
office : by the act of breathing, the waste matters, 
and particularly the excess of carbon, is thrown off, 
while oxygen or vital air is absorbed. It is also the 
opinion of some that the lungs receive and transmit 
electric currents. The lungs also absorb a large 
amount of moisture from the atmosphere under cer- 
tain circumstances. 

Composition of the Atmosphere. — In one hun- 
dred parts the atmosphere contains twenty-two parts of 
oxygen, seventy-seven of nitrogen, and one of carbonic 
acid gas. These constituents are found to be the same in 
all latitudes, in valleys, and on the tops of mountains. 
Chemical analysis has never yet discovered the deadly 
agent that causes the periodical fevers so common in 
the South and West. 

Changes of the Blood by Kespiration. — By the 
action of the air in the lungs, the blood is vitalized, 
and changed from dark venous blood into bright arte- 
rial blood. The vital fluid is then said to be decarbon- 
ized and oxygenized, and thus is it fitted for building up 
every part of the body. 

The Air-Cells. — The bronchial tubes terminate in 
minute air-cells. These cells are separated from each 
other by a very thin membrane, and on this membrane 



46 RESPIRATION. 

ramify the very small capillary vessels, so that the 
blood is exposed to the air on both sides. While the 
blood is circulating through these vessels, oxygen 
passes in through their coats, and carbonic acid gas 
escapes in the same way. The number of air-cells in 
the human lungs has been estimated at six hundred 
millions ! 

The Breathing Capacity. — The capacity of the 
lungs for the reception of air varies greatly in different 
individuals ; but this capacity may be much increased 
by exercising the muscles of the chest, and by draw- 
ing in the breath deep and long. The breathing 
muscles may be trained and strengthened by exercise, 
like the muscles of the arm or any other part. 

Principal Agents in Breathing. — These are the 
muscles of the chest and belly, and the diaphragm or 
midriff; the latter being the muscular partition 
between the chest and belly. Inspiration, or breath- 
ing in, is mainly effected by the diaphragm and the 
muscles of the chest ; and expiration, or breathing out, 
by the muscles of the abdomen. 

Proportion between Breathing and Pulse. — The 
number of respirations in a given time depends greatly 
on the frequency of the pulse, and the state of mind and 
body, yet there is a certain proportion between the 
action of the heart and lungs that will generally be 
found to exist. The average number of respirations 
per minute may be stated at from 15 to 18, and the 
proportion between the pulsations and respirations 
about four or five pulsations to one respiration. Any 
marked deviation from these figures generally in- 



NUTRITION. 47 

dicates disease ; and the want of proportion is more 
likely to be seen in lung affections. 

Heat — A Uniform Standard. — The generation of 
heat is part of the respiratory process. One of the most 
remarkable things connected with the animal economy 
is its power of regulating its temperature so as to pre- 
serve a uniform standard in all climates. The great 
regulator of temperature is the skin, for the stimulus 
of heat causes it to perspire, and the fluid thrown off 
is immediately converted into vapor, by which any 
excess of heat is abstracted. On the contrary, when 
the body is exposed to cold, the transpiration from 
the skin ceases to a great extent, and thus the heat 
generated is retained. 

Nutrition. 

The Grand Finishing Process. — Nutrition is the 
actual conversion of nutritive elements into the substance 
of our bodies — it is the end and aim of all the digestive 
processes described. This grand finishing process of 
digestion is performed in that interesting system of 
vessels — the capillaries. These vessels pervade every 
organized texture of the body, and many of them are 
so exceedingly minute that only a single red particle 
of blood can pass at the same time. 

What we know about Nutrition. — The nutritive 
elements are contained in the arteries, and are conveyed 
to these by the capillaries, and passing through the 
coats of these little vessels, they are converted into the 
various tissues of the body, while all these tissues are 
made up of minute honey-comb cells, arranged some- 
times in one way, and sometimes in another. Thus are 



48 SECRETIONS AND EXCRETIONS. 

formed the brain, the muscles, the bones, and every 
part of the body. 

Some of the Diseases of Nutrition. — Wens, and 
various kinds of tumors, are caused by an " error in 
nutrition," by which is understood a morbid deposi- 
tion in a part without assimilation or conversion. 
Consumption belongs to this class of diseases ; and so 
does excessive fatness, which, in some cases, is a real 
disease. Still a moderate accumulation of fat is 
entirely compatible with health, and highly con- 
ducive to beauty, by giving that rotundity of form, 
that charming embonpoint, so attractive in women. 
Besides this, fatness seems to promote cheerfulness 
and good-nature ; for fat men and women are generally 
smiling and even-tempered; but whether the good- 
nature is the result of the fatness, or the fatness of 
the good-nature, is a debatable point. Still we think 
that the old adage, " Laugh and grow fat." might 
with equal propriety be rendered, Grow fat and laugh. 

How often is the Body renewed? — It is a 
common opinion that the body is renewed every 
seven years — that every particle of old matter is 
thrown off in this time, and that we then come forth 
with new bodies. This may be an approximation to 
the truth, but there can be no doubt that the process 
of repair and decay is much influenced by our habits 
of life, and especially by the amount of exercise, and 
the nature of our food. 

The Secretions and Excretions. 

The different Secretions. — Each organ and struc- 
ture secretes, or separates its own peculiar fluid : those 
secretions that are intended for the use of the animal 



SECRETIONS AND EXCRETIONS. 49 

economy are called recrementitious ; they are the chyle, 
gastric juice, saliva, mucus, &c, &c. Those secretions 
that are intended to rid the body of waste and injuri- 
ous matters, are commonly called "excrements." To 
this class belong sweat, urine, the discharges from the 
bowels, &c. 

The Mucous Secretion. — The cavities of the body 
opening externally, as the nose, mouth, windpipe, 
bladder, sexual organs, &c, are lined with a mucous 
membrane that secretes a slimy fluid called mucas : 
this fluid keeps the parts over which it is spread, 
smooth and moist, and shields them from injury and 
irritation. 

Woman's Tears. — The only other secretion that we 
shall notice is the tears secreted by the lachrymal gland. 
Physiologically the office of the tears is to moisten the 
eye-ball, and to cleanse and protect it. And who can 
tell the moral influence of a tear, and especially a 
woman 1 s tears? For, " Beauty's tears are lovelier than 
her smiles," says Campbell. And Byron, who had 
often felt the potent spell, thus describes it : — 

" Oh ! too convincing — dangerously dear 
In woman's eye, the unanswerable tear ! 
That weapon of her weakness, which can wield 
To save — subdue — at once her spear and shield/' 

Excretion from the Skin. — The skin not only 
maintains a uniform standard of temperature ; it is also 
one of the most important cleansing organs, freeing the 
blood of a vast amount of matters that would be highly 
injurious if retained. The great extent of the perspi- 
ratory tubes has already been noticed. And it should 
be remembered that this extensive secretory surface 
D 5 



50 SECRETIONS AND EXCRETIONS. 

is constantly in action, even when the secretion is not 
sufficiently rapid to stand in drops of sweat : the in- 
sensible perspiration never ceases, when the skin is in 
a healthy condition ; but an invisible vapor charged 
with various matters, is constantly rising, like steam, 
from the surface of the body. The amount of solid 
matter thus thrown off, has been estimated at one 
hundred grains per day ; and the whole amount of 
solids passing from the skip, and lungs both, has 
been reckoned at from lflbs. to 51bs. in twenty-four 
hours. 

Urinary Excretion, Stone and Gravel. — The 
kidneys eliminate from the system a large amount of 
various salts, earthy matters, and nitrogen. Some of 
these solid elements of the urine are sometimes 
deposited in the kidneys or bladder, constituting stone 
and gravel. If the urinary secretion be suspended for 
any length of time, death ensues, with symptoms 
of stupor, or brain-poisoning: a conclusive evidence 
of the importance of the cleansing office of the 
kidneys. 

The Evacuations from the Bowels. — The office 
of the bowels is to pass off the " excrements" or the 
remains of our food after the digestible part has been 
dissolved and taken up by the lacteals, and conveyed 
into the blood. Neglect of this evacuation, and 
especially by women, is a prolific source of disease : 
this subject will be discussed more fully in the 
hygienic department of this work. 

Vicarious Action — Important Rule. — A very 
interesting feature of the excretory or cleansing organs 



SECRETIONS AND EXCRETIONS. 51 

is their vicarious action. By this is understood the 
power of one organ to act for another ; or to take on 
increased action ; when the functions of an associated 
organ are suspended. To illustrate — the skin and 
kidneys are intimately associated in their functions ; 
and when the action of the skin is interrupted from 
cold, or any other cause ; the kidneys perform double 
duty, and the urinary secretion is much increased. 
This is manifest to every one who has noticed the 
effects of a change of weather from warm* to cold. 
The sympathy, as it is called, between the skin and 
the mucous membrane lining the air-passages, and the 
bowels, is very close; and hence, the " bowel com- 
plaints," "colds in the head," coughs, &c, &c, that ensue 
when the functions of the skin are interrupted by 
exposure to cold, or by a sudden change of weather. 
In these cases, if the bowels and lungs did not relieve 
themselves by an increased discharge, or if the skin 
did not resume its action, inflammation would result. 
These facts are highly important both in the prevention 
and treatment of disease. 

Without going into details, we give one very im- 
portant rule : When an organ is feeble and incapable 
of performing its functions properly, it should be 
relieved by acting, as far as possible, on the organ 
associated by sympathy with .the one so diseased. 
And when an organ takes on an increased discharge to 
supply the place of another discharge, which is sup- 
pressed, we should be very slow to check the increased 
action until the suppression is removed. 

On this principle we resort to sweating remedies in 



52 SEXUAL 0KGANS OF WOMEN. 

lung affections, bowel affections, &c. And on tlie 
same principle we should mind how we check 
discharges, from the bowels, lungs, or womb, unless 
means are used to restore the functions of the skin. 



CHAPTER III. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE Si XL 7 A L ORGANS OF W MAN, 
OR THE AGENlb OF PROPAGAlIx^G LIFE. 

" To the pure, all things are pure." 

The Bony Pelvis. — This is an irregular oval cavity- 
formed by the bones between the lower end of the 
back-bone, and the hip joints, or heads of the thigh 
bones. The pelvis is usually spoken of as consisting 
of three distinct bones, though these are united in one 
in grown persons. The upper and larger division ia 
the hip or " haunch-bone.' ' This is the bone that 
spreads out like wings on each side, giving such width 
to the hips of women. The front bone is the pubis, or 
as it is commonly called, the " cross-bone." The lower 
bone is the ischium, or " sitting-bone, " it being the 
bone on which we rest in the sitting posture. 

These bones form the front and sides of the pelvis. 
Behind is the sacrum. This is a wedge-shaped bone, 
with the broad end upward and joined to the lower 
end of the spine, of which it may be considered a 
continuation. The sacrum is wedged in between the 
hip bones on each side, forming the bond of union 
between them. 



SEXUAL ORGANS OF WOMEN. 53 

The Cavity of the Pelvis. — The bones described 
are all united together in such a manner as to form an 
irregular cavity, approaching a circle : this is the 
cavity of the pelvis, a most important part of the 
anatomy of woman. This cavity contains all the in- 
ternal organs of generation, yet to be noticed, together 
with the organs connected with these — as the bladder, 
the straight gut, &c. A knowledge of the size, shape, 
and direction of this cavity is highly important to the 
practitioner of Midwifery ; and no one should be 
allowed to interfere, by way of changing the position 
of the child, who does not possess this knowledge. 

The External Organs of Generation. 

The Mons Veneris. — This is the prominent, fatty 
mass in front of the cross-bone. 

The Labia Majora, &o. — The labia majora or 
greater lips are the folds on each side, below the mons 
veneris. Within these are the folds called the lesser lips 
or nymphse. The clitoris is the small teat-like body in 
front of the cross-bone. Among the external organs 
of generation might be mentioned the hymen. This 
is a thin membrane that partially closes the vagina, 
or passage to the womb, and has commonly been con- 
sidered as the seal of virginity. But it is liable to 
rupture from various causes. This membrane some- 
times offers a serious impediment to the monthly 
discharge. 

Diseases — Modesty — Health. — The parts just de- 
scribed are lined by a very delicate mucous membrane, 
which is liable to a great variety of diseases; and 
hence, the necessity for describing things of which 

5* 



54 SEXUAL ORGANS OF WOMEN". 

modesty blushes even to think. But modesty, though 
it is the brightest gem in the beauteous diadem of 
female loveliness, should not be prized above that 
knowledge which is necessary, in many instances, to 
health, and even life itself. " To the pure, all things 
are pure ;" and no refined and virtuous woman will 
ever be injured by familiarizing herself with the most 
secret mysteries of her organization, if she is incited 
to such investigations by that greatest of all earthly 
objects — the preservation of health. 

The Breasts. — The breasts, or mammary glands, 
are appendages to the generative system in woman. 
These glands are composed of lobes which secrete the 
milk, and this milk is conveyed to the nipple by the 
milk tubes, where it is discharged. These glands exist 
in a rudimentary state in men, and there are cases on 
record where they have been so developed and ex- 
cited by suckling as to enable fathers to perform the 
part of mothers to infants I 

The Internal Organs of Generation. 

The Vagina. — This is the canal leading from the 
external parts to the womb. Through this canal 
pass the child in labor, the monthly discharge, &c. 
It is four or five inches long, and about an inch in 
diameter. It is composed of an erectile, contractile 
tissue lined by a delicate mucous membrane, and this 
membrane has a number of transverse folds so that 
the vagina may be greatly dilated. The vagina is 
attached above to the neck of the womb, encircling 
it completely like the mouth of a sack. Behind, 
the vagina is connected with the rectum, or straight 



SEXUAL ORGANS OF WOMEN. 55 

gut, by a septum, or fold of web-like tissue. Before, it 
is connected to the bladder in the same way. Below, 
the vagina opens between the lips of the external 
parts already described. 

The Womb. — The womb is that highly important 
organ occupying the upper part of the pelvic cavity, 
and situated between the bladder in front, and the 
straight gut behind. In shape it resembles a pear with 
the small end downward. The womb is divided into 
the body, the neck, and the mouth. The body consti- 
tutes the upper and larger portion. The neck is that 
contracted portion of the womb that projects into the 
vagina; and the opening from this neck into the 
vagina is called the mouth of the womb. The walls 
of the womb consist of muscles lined by a mucous 
membrane and covered by the peritoneum, before 
described. The dimensions of the womb are not on 
an average greater than three inches long, by about 
two inches wide, even in women who have borne 
several children. The broad ligaments are formed by 
folds of the peritoneum spreading out from the sides 
of the womb. 

The Ovaries. — The ovaries, or female seed-glands, 
are situated irj. the upper part of the broad ligaments 
near the upper angles of the womb. These glands 
are about the size of a large bean or an almond. They 
are composed principally of little vesicles or egg-bags. 

The Fallopian Tubes. — These tubes extend from 
the upper part of the womb to the ovaries, and their 
office is to convey the little seeds or eggs from the 
ovaries or egg-bags into the womb. 

The Bladder, &o. — The bladder and rectum, or 



56 SEXUAL ORGANS OF WOMEN. 

straight gut, are not part of the sexual apparatus, but 
they are so closely connected with the latter that it is 
necessary to describe all together. The bladder is 
situated behind the pubic or cross-bone, and in front 
of the womb, so that it is liable to be compressed and 
misplaced by changes in the size and situation of the 
womb. This fact accounts for many of the symptoms 
and diseases of women that could not be at all under- 
stood without knowing it. Most cases of what are 
called " gravel" are nothing more than irritation of the 
bladder and urethra, caused by pressure of the womb. 
The canal leading from the bladder is called the 
urethra, and it opens externally just below the cross- 
bone. 

The Rectum. — The rectum, the large gut, or the 
slight gut, lies behind the womb and the vagina; 
and, like the bladder, it is subject to compression when 
the womb is distended from pregnancy or any other 
cause. 



OFFICES OF THE SEXUAL OEGANS. 57 



CHAPTER IV. 

OFFICES OF THE SEXUAL OKGANS, OR THE MANNER 
OF PROPAGATING LIFE. 

These things should be known to all — to maidens and mothers 
alike. It cannot be that God has so ordered it that know- 
ledge so essential to the well-being of woman can be destruc- 
tive TO MORAL PURITY. 

The " Courses" — The Marriageable Age. — The 
age of puberty, or the marriageable age, is marked in 
girls by changes, mental, moral, and physical, that are 
well calculated to arrest attention, and to excite the 
most lively interest. These changes are thus beauti- 
fully described by Velpeau, a distinguished French 
medical writer : — " Puberty, or the marriageable age, 
is announced in girls, as in boys, by numerous changes. 
The general organization, which, until that period, 
had progressed alike in both beings, seems suddenly 
to take an opposite direction in each. The young 
girl becomes more timid and reserved ; her form 
becomes more rounded, her voice alters, but to take 
on a softer and more harmonious tone ; her bosom is 

developed Her eyes, which are at once 

brilliant and languishing, express commingled desires, 
fears, and tenderness ; the sensations she experiences, 
and the sense of her own weakness, are the causes 
why she no longer dares to approach the companions 
of her childhood but with a downcast look. On the 
other hand, the gentle modesty that animates her 
countenance, and the seductive graces of her demeanor, 



58 OFFICES OF THE SEXUAL ORGANS. 

soon disclose a power whose existence she never sus- 
pected, and which renders it true to say that the mar- 
riageable age in the softer sex is the springtide of 
nature, and the season of the pleasures; but a new 
function, the catamenial (' courses'), the absolute 
compass of good or bad health in women, is estab- 
lished with more or less difficulty in the midst of this 
great revolution," &c. And thus are all traits of 
resemblance between the two sexes effaced. "The 
bud newly expanded blossoms amongst the flowers, 
and this brilliant metamorphosis is signalized by the 
rosy tints of the cheeks and lips, and the perfect 
development which discloses the arrival of the age of 
puberty." And continues Colombat, another French 
writer, — "The young girl who, until now, was an 
equivocal non-sexual creature, becomes a woman in 
her countenance and in all the parts of her body ; in 
the elegance of her stature, and beauty of her form, 
the delicacy of her features ; in her constitution, in the 
sonorous and melodious tones of her voice, in hd* sen- 
sibility and affections ; in her character, her inclinations, 
her tastes, her habits, and even in her maladies." The 
same writer thus beautifully paints the moral changes 
of this attractive period of life : — " The young girl be- 
comes more tender-hearted, more sensitive, more com- 
passionate, and appears to attach herself to everything 
about her. The new sensations arising within her soul 
make her timid in approaching the companions of her 
childhood ; a strange trouble, a sort of restlessness, an 
agitation before unknown, are the heralds of a power 
whose existence she does not even suspect." 
Time for the " Courses."— The time of life at 



OFFICES OF THE SEXUAL ORGANS. 59 

which menstruation, or the monthly discharge, occurs, 
varies according to circumstances. The most influen- 
tial agents in retarding or hastening the discharge are 
climate and habits of life. In warm climates the 
courses come on as early as from eight to twelve years ; 
in more temperate regions they may be expected at 
from twelve to sixteen ; and as late as from fifteen to 
twenty in cold countries. In this country, the average 
might be placed at fifteen in the Southern States, and a 
little later at the North. A country life and occupa- 
tions, simple manners, and frugal fare, tend to retard 
the appearance of the courses. On the contrary, an 
easy life of self-indulgence, stimulating food and 
drinks, attendance on balls and theatres, lascivious 
books and pictures, children's parties, and the whole 
hot-bed system of city life, all stimulate the sexual 
organs into precocious activity, which is followed by a 
premature old age — " 'Neath whose withering touch 
the lines of beauty fade away." 

Duration of Menstrual Life. — Menstrual life, or 
the time from the first appearance to the final cessation 
of the courses, is about thirty years: placing their 
appearance at fifteen, they would disappear finally at 
about forty-five — when they begin early, they cease 
earlier, &c. This discharge is peculiar to women, and 
it comes from the mucous membrane lining the womb. 
The exciting cause is to be found in the ovaries or egg- 
bags. As a general rule, the courses are suspended 
by pregnancy and suckling. 

What the Monthly Discharge indicates. — 
Early Marriages. — It is an undoubted truth that the 
appearance of this discharge indicates the fitness of 



60 OFFICES OF THE SEXUAL ORGANS. 

woman to perform her maternal obligations to the 
human race. Yet, this is a guide as to the propriety of 
assuming the grave responsibilities of the married 
relation, only when Nature is left free to do her own 
work. The bearing of children is one of the most 
exhausting processes to which a woman can possibly 
be subjected ; for her very life's blood has to go to sup- 
port the new being within her, and she has to furnish 
the materials for all the complex structures of bones, 
muscles, brain, and every part of the child. How 
many have been convinced of the truth of the above 
position by sad experience ! How many women are 
there, who are wrinkled, worn-out, superannuated, dis- 
eased, and completely broken down, when they should 
be in the very prime of full-blown, exuberant woman- 
hood ! And all because, under the hot-bed influences 
to which we have adverted, the sexual organs have 
been prematurely developed, the courses have made 
their appearance too early, and a child has been led to 
the marriage bed ! We say a child emphatically, for 
though the evidences of womanhood are present, many 
of these forced growths are as little capacitated in 
mind and body to become mothers, as children are. 
Even when the evidences of womanhood are not 
hastened by any artificial influences, young women 
should not marry until their whole organization, men- 
tal and physical, is fully developed and consolidated — 
until every part is perfect, wanting not an atom, with 
an overflowing vitality seeking an outlet. If women 
would so live, and so wait, as to attain to this state of 
glorious maturity, before they take the marriage vow ; 
and if they would follow the laws of health afterwards, 



OFFICES OF THE SEXUAL ORGANS. 61 

it is beyond the power of language to express the 
blessings that would ensue to mothers, to children, 
and to the whole human family ! 

Length, &c, of each Menstrual Period. — The 
duration of each menstrual period, and the quantity of 
fluid discharged, vary greatly in different women ; so 
that we may say, each is a law unto herself in these 
particulars. Therefore, every woman must form her 
estimate of the healthy nature of her "monthly 
periods," not so much by the number of days that 
she may menstruate, or by the actual quantity dis- 
charged, as by a comparison with her general habits 
in these respects, and by the effects on her system. 

Influence of the Moon, &c. — Women are regu- 
lated about every lunar month, or at intervals of 28 
days ; but there is no foundation for the notion that the 
moon has any control over this thing ; for women are 
menstruating every day in the year, which of course 
precludes the idea of lunar influence. There are many 
other absurdities afloat in the world in reference to 
this interesting function, but we cannot stop to notice 
them. Suffice it to say, that it is a natural process, 
designed to fit a woman for the great duty which she 
owes to mankind, and that she is not poisonous or 
dangerous, either to persons or things, because she 
happens to be "after the manner of women." 

Healthy Discharge not Painful. — The monthly 
discharge is a secretion from the lining membrane of 
the womb, and in its natural condition it does not 
come away in clots. A coagulated or clotted discharge 
indicates disease. Pain is equally an evidence of an 
unnatural or diseased state, for perfectly healthy men- 

6 



62 OFFICES OF THE SEXUAL ORGANS. 

struation is entirely painless. Healthy menstruation 
is of a dirty, coffee color, destitute of any very disagree- 
able smell, does not clot, and is unattended with. pain. 
How few healthy menstruations in the present day ! 

Girls should know these Thinos. — Finally, in 
concluding this subject, we would insist on the import- 
ance of having young girls informed as to the nature 
of menstruation, the time of its appearance, &c, &c. 
In the absence of such knowledge, attempts have been 
made to check it by the use of cold water and other 
dangerous means. And without a knowledge of the 
nature and uses of this function, some of the most 
vitally important truths of Hygiene must be sup- 
pressed. The fact is, there is too much fastidiousness 
and false delicacy in this age of the world, which 
should be banished, and young girls, as soon as they 
reach the proper age, should be instructed fully in 
everything pertaining to the preservation of that 
greatest and most desirable of all earthly blessings — 
health. Away then with that false modesty, those 
unfounded fears, and that fatal reserve, which are a 
wicked imputation on the wisdom of the great Creator ! 
For to say that a knowledge of her organization is 
calculated to stain the purity of woman, is to assume 
that God has made knowledge absolutely essential to 
her well-being, which is injurious and destructive in 
its tendency ! A conclusion contrary to reason and 
common sense, and insulting to the character of Him 
" who doeth all things well." No, there is nothing cor- 
rupting or demoralizing to woman in the study of 
herself: she may investigate the most secret mysteries 
of her physical nature, and still be 



SECRET BAD HABITS, — REPRODUCTION. 63 



-" Chaste as the icicle 



That's curdled by the frost of purest snow, 
And hangs on Dian's temple." 



Secret Bad Habits. 

A good deal has been written on this subject of 
late years, and even women have thought the evil 
of sufficient magnitude to justify them in sounding 
a note of warning. But we can but believe that 
the extent of this evil is greatly exaggerated. Girls 
who have been properly reared, are not likely to 
indulge in any improper handling of their sexual 
organs, unless they are the subjects of some disease, 
or unnatural excitement of those parts. This kind 
of excitement is doubtless often due to the presence 
of worms, to some uterine affection, or neglect of 
cleanliness. In the first two cases a physician 
should be consulted. In the last, the remedy is 
obvious. Still, mothers should be careful to guard 
their daughters against improper influences, and 
associates that would be likely to lead them into a 
habit which will result in injury to the health and 
morals, if indulged. 

Let mothers, then, teach their daughters purity of 
thought and action, and then, except in cases of 
disease, there will be but little danger of unchaste 
feelings or practices. 

Reproduction. 

The Germ or Seed. — Reproduction is a generic 
term, implying that power peculiar to plants and ani- 
mals, of reproducing a being similar to themselves. 



64 REPRODUCTION. 

The first part performed by woman in this great pro- 
cess is to furnish the germ of the new being, or the little 
egg from which it springs. This germ or egg is sup- 
plied by the ovaries or egg-bags. At each menstrual 
period, one or more of these germs or eggs pass from 
the ovaries along the fallopian tubes into the womb. 
Should this germ come in contact with a vitalizing 
element, conception takes place, and the growth of the 
new being then begins. Should no contact of the 
kind alluded to occur, the germ is thrown off from 
the womb, and there is an end of the matter. 

When Conception is most likely to occur. — It 
is generally admitted among physiologists that men- 
struation with its attendant process of laying, or passing 
a germ into the womb, causes an aptitude for concep- 
tion, and consequently that this is more likely to occur 
during the menstrual excitement, and a few days after, 
than at any other time. This fact may be made of 
great practical importance, where from ill health or 
other causes, it may be desirable to regulate the num- 
ber of offspring. And we will take this occasion to 
add that many circumstances would not only justify 
the use of our physiological knowledge, for the pur- 
pose alluded to, but that the neglect to avail ourselves 
of such knowledge, would, in some cases, be an act of 
cruel injustice to some of the fairest, the best, and 
often, the most afflicted of our race. Who will say 
that it is criminal to save a wife from disease, and 
threatened death, consequent on excessive child-bear- 
ing by restraint ? Who will say that it is not a crime t to 
subject a wife to such evils, by following the impulses 
of passion regardless of consequences ? 



LIMITATION OF OFFSPRING. 65 

CHAPTER V. 

LIMITATION OF OFFSPRING. 

We have just stated, that many circumstances not 
only justify, but demand the use of our physiologi- 
cal knowledge, in limiting the number of offspring. 
One of these, ill health from excessive child-bearing, 
has been mentioned. And the remedy — restraint on 
the part of the husband, about the time of the wife's 
menstruation — has also been alluded to. But it 
would hardly be just to those for whose benefit we 
write, thus to dismiss one of the most interesting 
and important subjects in sociology and morals, and 
one more intimately connected with the happiness of 
wedded life than any other. 

One of the most frequent causes of ill health 
among married women, is over production, or bear- 
ing too many children. This declaration is sus- 
tained by the testimony of numerous medical writers, 
and is demonstrated in the daily practice of almost 
every physician. The evils of excessive child-bear- 
ing are also manifest in the offspring of mothers 
thus enfeebled and diseased. The children of such 
mothers are often puny, sickly, rickety, short-lived, 
and not unfrequently idiotic. Again, there are 
many women incapacitated for bearing children, 
from malformations, or some serious organic dis- 
ease, which would render parturition almost inevi- 
tably fatal ; or subject these unfortunate women 
b 6* 



66 LIMITATION OF OFFSPBIN3. 

to tortures even more intolerable than death itself. 
In such cases as these, no one will deny that the 
prevention of conception by all proper means, and 
especially by self restraint on the part of the hus- 
band at the time indicated at which conception is 
most likely to occur, is not only justifiable, but in 
the highest degree obligatory. 

The same thing is true where one or both parents 
are known to be the subjects of some hereditary dis- 
ease, and when medical science, and especially the sad 
results of previous pregnancies, as manifested in dis- 
eased children, plainly indicate that all the offspring 
will be greatly exposed to the blighting taint trans- 
mitted by the parents. 

Other reasons for the limitation of offspring, such 
as crime, poverty, or inability to provide for,and edu- 
cate a number of children, might be mentioned. But 
considerations of this kind belong more to the po- 
litical economist and the moralist than to the physi- 
cian, and would, therefore, not be very appropriate 
in a work of this kind. And while it is highly de- 
sirable to make our knowledge of the means of 
limiting offspring available in many cases, it must 
be admitted that this power, like all other good 
things, is liable to abuse, and that the discussion of 
such subjects involves many difficult problems in 
sociology. As to the moral aspects of the question, 
which are, perhaps, regarded by many as the most 
grave, we must say, that in our view, the prejudices 
of the many good men and women who oppose the 
promulgation and exercise of such knowledge, origi- 
nate partly in a want of discrimination between 



LIMITATION OF OFFSPRING. 67 

things bearing some resemblance, but yet very dif- 
ferent, and partly in mistaken religious views. 

Some cannot or will not make the distinction be- 
tween the procurement of abortion and the preven- 
tion of conception — between the destruction of the 
life of a living being, for the accomplishment of un- 
justifiable and criminal ends, and the refusal to 
impart life for the purpose of avoiding the disease or 
death which would be entailed on a child born of 
diseased parents ; or which would hurry to the grave 
a mother incapable of bearing children on account 
of some physical disability. 

Yet a moment's reflection should convince any one 
that there is a vast difference between the two. For, 
in one case, we have the crime of murder, unless the 
sacrifice of the child is necessary for the salvation 
of the mother, and is so decreed by competent medi- 
cal authority. In the other case, we have the simple 
prevention of conception, or failure to impart life, 
when such means are necessary to the welfare and 
even the life of the mother. 

And yet many worthy physicians and pious cler- 
gymen will not listen to argument or reason on this 
subject, but confounding criminal abortion with in- 
nocent and justifiable prevention, denounce any and 
every effort to limit the number of offspring as a 
high crime against God and society. 

This opposition arises from want of due discrimina- 
tion, as we have said ; and this indiscriminate condem- 
nation has its origin partly from fears of the probable 
abuse of such power, and partly from what we con- 
ceive to be an erroneous application of some passa- 



68 LIMITATION OF OFFSPRING. 

ges of the Bible. As to the abuse of the power, wo 
have only to say, that all good things are liable to 
perversion and abuse ; and that the abuse of a thing 
is no argument against its proper use. " The greater 
the blessings which naturally result from a thing, 
the more pernicious are its effects when diverted 
from its proper use. Even the benign religion of the 
Prince of Peace, has been made the unwilling instru- 
ment of the greatest calamities ever experienced by 
man." Yet, no one will pretend to say, that the re- 
ligion of Christ should be banished from the earth, 
because it has thus been perverted from its heavenly 
mission of " peace on earth and good will to men. 51 

As to the Bible, it is true that it denounces mur- 
der ; but the prevention of conception, so far from 
sacrificing life, may often be the means of saving the 
life of mothers — a life which is always regarded as 
more valuable than that of an unborn child, which 
is unhesitatingly destroyed whenever such a step h 
decided to be necessary to save the life of thti 
mother. 

The Bible also contains a command, or what is so 
regarded, to Xoah, after the flood, to " multiply and 
replenish the earth." But certainly, it is a very 
broad interpretation of a command made to a single 
individual of a depopulated world, to apply that 
command to the whole race of mankind for all time, 
and under all circumstances. The propagation of 
the species is evidently the design of the great Cre- 
ator, as is manifest from the feelings and capacities 
with which he has endowed h ; s creatures. And no 
command was necessary tor the accomplishment of 



LIMITATION OF OFFSPRING. 69 

this design, which was secured in the very constitu- 
tion of our nature, and which will always be exe- 
cuted without any positive precept. But the sexual 
feeling, like all other natural passions and propensi- 
ties, must be directed and controlled by r ght reason, 
sound judgment, and reasonable self restrain". And 
to nrmko the declaration of Go"! to an individual — a 
declaration which should be regarded in the light of 
a blessing rather than a command, a universal and 
inflexible law, a bar to the right use of knowledge — 
a license for unrestrained indulgence, and a source 
of infinite suffering, disease and death to the human 
family, is dishonoring to a wise and good Creator, 
and a reproach to those who thus misconstrue and 
misapply the teachings of the Bible. 

And Jet us remind our teachers of morals, that a 
strong appeal has been made for the prevention of 
conception, "for the sake of morality itself." Says 
Dr. Napheys: "The detestable crime of abortion is 
appallingly rife in our day ; it is abroad in our land 
to an extent which would have shocked the disso- 
lute women of Pagan Rome. Testimony from all 
quarters, especially from New England, has accumu- 
lated within the past few years, to sap our faith in 
the r> morality and religion of American women. This 
whoksale, fashionable murder, how are we to stop 
it? hundreds of vile men and women in our large 
cities subsist by this slaughter of the innocents, and 
flaunv their ill-gotten gains — the price of blood — in 
our ] ublic thoroughfares. Their advertisements are 
seen in the newspapers ; their soul-and-body destroy- 
ing means are hawked in every town. With such 



70 LIMITATION OF OFFSPRING. 

temptation strewn in her path, what will the woman 
threatened with an excessive family do? Will she 
not yield to evil, and sear her conscience with the 
repetition of her wickedness ? Alas ! daily experi- 
ence in the heart of a great city discloses to us only 
too frequently the fatal curse of such a course." 

In view of this state of things, and the inevitable 
injuries of excessive child-bearing, to which we have 
alluded, some of the most distinguished authorities 
have made such declarations as these, which are 
copied from the author just quoted : " Little im- 
provement," says John Stuart Mill, " can be expected 
in morality, until the producing of too large fami- 
lies is regarded with the same feeling as drunkenness, 
or any other physical excess." Says Sismondi, the 
learned historian of Southern Europe, " when dan- 
gerous prejudices have not become accredited; when 
our true duties towards those to whom we give life 
are not obscured in the name of a sacred authority, 
no married man will have more children than he 
can bring up properly." 

" The avoidance of offspring, to a certain extent, is 
not only legitimate, but should be recommended as 
a measure of public good," is the declaration of Dr. 
Raciborski, a French physician. Another physician, 
Dr. Reich, in view of the evils to society and indi- 
viduals, from too rapid increase in families, says, 
" Very much, indeed, is it to be wished, that the func- 
tion of reproduction be placed under the dominion of 
the will." 

Other authorities to the same effect might be 
given, as quoted by Dr. Napheys, but we prefer in- 



LIMITATION OF OFFSPRING. 71 

troducing the following sensible remarks from his 
own pen : " It is absurd for physicians or theolo- 
gians to insist, that it is either the physical or moral 
duty of the female to have as many children as she 
can possibly have. It is time that such injurious 
prejudice was discarded, and the truth recognized, 
that while marriage looks to offspring as its 
natural sequence, there should be inculcated such a 
thing as marital continence, and that excess here as 
elsewhere is repugnant to morality, and is visited by 
the laws of physiology with certain and severe pun- 
ishment on parent and child." "But," continues 
this writer, " a thousand voices reach us from suffer- 
ing women in all parts of our land, that this will not 
suffice ; that men refuse to restrain themselves ; that 
it leads to a loss of domestic happiness, and to illegal 
amours, or, that it is injurious physically and men- 
tally ; that, in short, such advice is useless, because 
impracticable." 

This is, we fear, too true, however humiliating to 
man the admission may be. Besides this, as the 
time for the passage and final escape of the vesicle 
or little egg from the woman is not fixed, restraint 
for a certain specified time is not a certain prevent- 
ive ©f conception. Yet, we may safely say, that 
those who deny themselves for four days before men- 
struation, and twelve days after, may rely pretty con- 
fidently on exemption from the evils of excessive 
child-bearing. 

Nursing or suckling is another bar to pregnancy, 
as conception is not likely to occur during lactation, 
and while the menstrual function is suspended. 



72 HINTS TO WIVES DESIRING CHILDREN. 

This is a good reason, among many others, why 
mothers should nurse their own children. Still it 
must not be carried too far with this view, as is too 
often done. For such a course may be more injuri- 
ous to the mother than the bearing of children at 
proper intervals. And after all, the means can be 
efiective only for a limited period, and cannot be re- 
lied on implicitly. 

In vi w then of the necessity for limiting the num- 
ber ot offspring in many cases, and in consideration 
of the difficulties and uncertainties of accomplishing 
this end, as suggested above, it would seem to be 
highly desirable that some o.her means should be in- 
stituted. Such are known to some, and are re- 
garded as safe and effectual; but this knowledge 
should be communicated only in special cuoes, where 
there is good reason to believe that it will be pro- 
perly used. We musr caution our readers, however, 
against the use of injections, straining or bearing 
down motions, and such like devices for the accom- 
plishment of this end. These are both uncertain 
and dangerous. 

Hints to Wives Desiring Children. 

Having said this much in favor of the limitation 
of offspring in certain cases, a few words will be 
proper for the benelit of wives who desire to become 
mothers. 

The ancients had some rather fanciful notions as 
to the material of the nuptial bed, and in this they 
have been ia lowed by some modern writers. Cer- 



HINTS TO WIVES DESIRING CHILDREN. 73 

tainly mattresses should be used by all in preference 
to feather beds, for the sake of health. But we have 
no idea that the kind of bed has anything to do with 
conception, or that " hemlock boughs make a bed 
which has a well-established reputation" for increas- 
ing fruitfulness. Or that " sleeping on sponge is of 
service to those who desire to increase their fami- 
lies." Or that " the odor of cone-bearing trees has 
a well-known influence upon the fraitfulness of wed- 
lock," as Dr. JTapheys teaches. But there are some 
things really worthy of attention on the part of those 
desiring offspring. Strong feeling is not necessary 
to conception; still it is reasonable to suppose that it 
is more likely to occur when both parties actively 
participate in the act of generation. Therefore, the 
state of mind and feeling should not be overlooked. 

Unions after prolonged abstinence are also sup- 
posed to be more fruitful, and to give rise to a more 
vigorous offspring. 

The writer just quoted, and perhaps others, attach 
considerable importance to the seasons as an element 
of fruitfulness in the animal as well as vegetable 
world. But it is far from being an established fact 
that there is but one season — spring — for generation. 
"While the seasons may have something to do with 
the act, fruitfulness in the animal creation depends 
much more on the habits of life, and the condition 
of the individual, than on the season of the year. 

It has been seen that conception is more likely to 
occur near the time of menstruation, and, of course, 
this will be remembered by those desiring offspring. 

Exciting the breasts by the application of a child, 



74 BEAUTY, SEX, TWINS, ETC. 

or by the use of warm applications, is also recom- 
mended on account of the close sympathy between 
the breasts and the womb. The two extremes of 
apathy and excessive excitement should be guarded 
against by those who would have children. The 
latter is sometimes a difficulty with young married 
couples, but time will generally overcome it. 

Repose, rest on the bed and quietude should be 
taken after matrimonial enjoyments, when it is de- 
sirable that they should be fruitful. But there are 
cases of sterility, or barrenness, where these simple 
measures will not succeed. These are almost always 
the result of some uterine disease, or constitutional 
condition, which can be remedied only by a course 
of long-continued and very skilful treatment ; and, 
therefore, their consideration would not be appropri- 
ate in a work of this kind. One of the most fre- 
quent causes of sterility is painful menstruation, or 
dysmenorrhcea, which see. 

Beauty, Sex, Twins, Etc. 

On these points we have but little to say, be cause 
all that is really useful can be said in a few words ; 
and because more would only minister to an idle and 
prurient curiosity. 

As to Beautiful Children, the best and only way 
to have them is to make a judicious marriage be- 
tween healthy, well -developed persons, and then tp 
obey the general and special laws of health after- 
wards. Mothers should pay special attention to the 
rules given in this work for there government before 
conception, and during gestation and suckling. 



TRIALS AND DANGERS OP YOUNG WIVES. 75 

As to sex, a M. Thury thinks that he has dis- 
covered that girls are begotten soon after menstru- 
ation, and boys at a later period. But this is by 
no means well established ; and if true, would be 
rather a dangerous kind of knowledge ; for most 
women want boys ; and if the girls were left out, 
the world would get along rather badly. Indeed, it 
would hardly go at all. 

As to twins, all that is necessary for their produc- 
tion is for two germs to become impregnated at once. 
But this knowledge is of no practical use either for 
the multiplication or the limitation of offspring. 
And the same remarks apply to other cases, when 
more than two children are conceived. It is idle 
then to discuss such subjects, for the reasons given. 

Marriage—Trials and Dangers of Young Wives. 

It can hardly be expected or desired that the 
first conjugal enjoyments should result in concep- 
tion. Yet, a few words as to the difficulties and 
dangers of young wives, may be noticed under this 
head. ^ 

Though there is nothing more culpable in the 
lawful indulgence of the heaven-ordained sexual 
instinct than in the proper gratification of hunger 
or any other natural appetite, yet the trials of a 
pure-minded maiden, who has always been taught 
to regard all such things with aversion and disgust, 
are certainly sufficiently great to merit some words 
of sympathy, of warning, and of encouragement, 
on her initiation into the new world of married life. 

This is a time when she greatly needs sympathy, 
quietude, and even seclusion ; where she can com- 



76 TRIALS AND DANGERS OF YOUNG WIVES. 

mune alone with the object of her affections, and 
quiet the tumult of her feelings in the undisturbed 
enjoyment of that tender solicitude, those gentle 
caresses, and that kind consideration, which every 
true man will bestow on a yielding, shrinking, loving 
young wife, desiring to comply with his wishes, and 
yet tremblingly fearful of the dangers and exposures 
which she must incur. But while this sympathy, 
tenderness and seclusion, are essential to her mental 
and physical well-being, the young wife's health and 
happiness are greatly jeopardized from two causes. 

Custom requires that the young bride should take 
a wedding tour, in which she is subjected to all the 
excitements, inconveniences, and restraints of travel, 
and the annoyances of public observation. It is the 
custom in some circles for a bride to conceal herself 
from the public gaze for some weeks before mar- 
riage. But it would be much more in accordance 
with the dictates of hygiene, propriety, and natural 
instinct, for a woman to exclude herself from society 
the month after, instead of the month before mar- 
riage. 

It has been said that wives are unwilling to deny 
themselves the bridal tour ; and that some of them 
would prefer becoming old maids, rather than sub- 
mit to such denial. 

But we regard this as a slander on the sex. For 
the refined sensitive nature of woman causes her to 
shrink instinctively from the vulgar gaze at such a 
time. And when a true woman follows a custom 
" more honored in the breach than the observance/ 7 
she does it in opposition to the dictates of nature, 



TRIALS AND DANGERS OP YOUNG WIVES. 77 

and the promptings of her own refined feelings, in 
compliance with a social requisition which she feels 
is a heavy and unreasonable demand on her mai- 
denly modesty, and her bodily strength. 

Another great evil to which young wives are ex- 
posed, is the inordinate exactions of ignorant or un- 
thinking men, more under the influence of impetu- 
ous passion than of prudence and becoming self- 
restraint. 

We have said that all true men will treat a young 
wife with the tenderest sympathy and consideration ; 
but alas ! we blush to say it, there are men who are 
either forgetful or ignorant of their duty, under the 
circumstances. The excessive demands of such men 
as these, act injuriously on both the mental and 
physical constitution of woman. And this is the 
cause of that, to her, unaccountable estrangement of 
feeling which often comes over her, even in the 
"honey-moon," and which is sometimes the begin- 
ning of a permanent coldness and estrangement. 

She, confiding innocent one, dreamed only of pure 
Platonic love, when she awakes to the terrible realiza- 
tion that she is united to one who is far more under 
the influence of animal passion than of spiritual 
love. And thus is the foundation of wedded misery 
often laid in the first few months after marriage, by 
over-indulgence, or rather unreasonable exactions 
on the part of the husband. And should conception 
occur, there will still be another cause of aversion 
superadded, which is perfectly natural, but which is 
often misunderstood. This aversion is an ordinary ) 
result of conception — is a natural phenomenon, and 

7* 



78 TRIALS AND DANGERS OF YOUNG WIVES. 

no evidence of a permanent change of feeling ; but 
often the first symptom of fruitful intercourse. But 
the evils of excess stop not here. For the excessive 
nervous excitement to which the young wife is ex- 
posed from this cause, and from the wedding tour to 
which we have alluded, are frequent causes of those 
chronic diseases so common among women. Thus 
is excessive indulgence soon after marriage, often 
the cause of estrangement of feeling and permanent 
ill health ; two of the greatest evils that could 
possibly befall a wedded pair. This is our excuse 
for calling attention to the delicate subjects discussed 
in this article. 

Now a word of encouragement to yielding, loving, 
suffering, and often abused women. 

Young wives are not only shocked, but many of 
them are even terrified at the thought of the first 
conjugal approaches, regarding the consummation 
of marriage as a painful and bloody rite. But with 
proper prudence and care, there is no danger of this 
kind, and all such fears should be dismissed. Should 
any serious obstacle exist, it will indicate some mal- 
formation requiring the attention of a physician. 

To conclude, then, the dangers in the first monti s 
of married life are from over-indulgence, and from 
excessive nervous excitement, laying the foundation 
for chronic disease in the future ; and not from local 
injury, giving rise to immediate pain. 

Besides the consummation of marriage, which is 
really a physical act, we might here dwell in glow- 
ing terms on the very popular themes of love, court- 
ship, engagements, choosing a husband, etc., etc. 



TRIALS AND DANGERS OF YOUNG WIVES. 79 

But while these things are intimately connected 
with the welfare and happiness of woman, they 
come more properly under the head of general 
hygiene, and especially under the head of mental 
and moral hygiene, where they are, perhaps, suffi- 
ciently discussed in such a work as this, which is 
intended to impart only useful information, and not 
to attract by captivating headings to useless or ir- 
relevant matter. 

For some other subjects of interest, see notes at 
the end of the volume. 



PART SECOND. 

PRESERVATION OF HEALTH, OR THE 
MEANS OF PROLONGING LIFE. 

11 NOR LOVE NOR HONOR, WEALTH NOR POWER, 
CAN GIVE THE HEART A CHEERFUL HOUR, 
WHEN HEALTH IS LOST. BE TIMELY WISE ; 
WITH HEALTH ALL TASTE OF PLEASURE FLIES." 



(81) 



CHAPTEE I. 
VARIOUS MATTERS. 

Health neglected — Providence slandered. — 
Every one will admit the truth of the preceding quota- 
tion, without the least hesitation ; and all will subscribe 
as readily to that trite maxim — " an ounce of preven- 
tion is worth a pound of cure." Yet notwithstanding 
these admissions it is lamentably true, that the greater 
part of mankind are either ignorant of the laws of 
health, or practically regardless of them when known. 
There are thousands of our race, who never thought or 
read a moment in their lives, on the laws that govern 
their being, or the means of preserving their health. 
Others there are, who devote some attention to this 
all-important subject, but their ideas are derived from 
newspaper advertisements, and catch-penny books, and 
they are very naturally led to the conclusion that the 
whole secret of health consists in swallowing some 
nostrum or specific for the cure of disease. These peo- 
ple never think of the causes or prevention of disease ; or 
if they do, they rest satisfied in the belief that all our 
maladies are unavoidable inflictions of Heaven ; " mys- 
terious dispensations of Providence" which must be 
borne with pious resignation. And these misguided 
slanderers of Providence, who, under the guise of 

(83) 



84 VAEIOUS MATTERS. 

piety, charge God with evils that are the natural con- 
sequences of their own wrong-doings, are to be found 
not only among the ignorant and partially enlight- 
ened, but among those of whom we might expect better 
things — even among professional men, and literary 
men and women — among physicians, clergymen, edi- 
tors, and grave professors. 

Our Belief — The Laws of Health. — We would 
guard against the inference that we do not believe in 
the agency of a superintending and directing Power : 
for this we do most devoutly believe. But we are 
equally firm in the conviction that Grod has instituted 
pnysiological, as well as moral laws for our govern- 
ment ; that obedience to those laws is absolutely essen- 
tial to health and life, and that, as certainly as a breach 
of the moral law is punished in the life to come, just 
so certainly will violations of the laws of health be 
visited with the penalty in this life. 

Blind Leaders — Patent Medicine Certificates. 
■ — The want of correct knowledge on medical subjects 
in general, and the preservation of health in particular, 
is almost universal. Our literary characters are gene- 
rally less informed on medical matters than on any 
others. We will not say that they are grossly ignorant 
— that they know nothing ; but the cause of truth re- 
quires us to say, that they are very often deceived and 
misinformed, and that those who commit themselves 
to their guidance, in medical affairs, on account of 
their literary reputation, are very likely to be led into 
the most fatal delusions. In confirmation of this, it is 
only necessary to • notice how readily these men of 
letters give in to the absurdities of medical impostors, 



VARIOUS MATTERS. 85 

and how easy it is for these harpies that prey on the 
public health, to obtain any number of " certificates" 
from clergymen, professors in literary institutions, &c, 
to the wonderful virtues of blood-purifiers and other 
health-destroying nostrums. 

A great Difficulty. — Knowledge increasing. 
— Besides actual ignorance on the subject of hygiene, 
a very great difficulty consists in an indisposition on the 
part of the people to conform to the laws of health — 
to practice what they know. Many can truly say, — 

" I see the right, and I approve it too, 
Condemn the wrong, and yet the wrong pursue." 

There is, however, a growing interest on this subject ; 
the masses are beginning to awake to the important 
truth that the preservation of health should be among 
the first great objects of life. — Sound medical knowledge 
is beginning to be diffused through the popular chan- 
nels of communication; we have a few respectable 
journals for the people, devoted mostly to Hygiene ; 
and some widely circulated newspapers and maga- 
zines* have adopted a " Health Department," to the 
exclusion of the indecent and delusive patent-medicine 
advertisements that still disgrace the columns of so 
many of our papers. Besides this, a knowledge of the 
elements of Anatomy, Physiology, and Hygiene is 
beginning to be considered a necessary part of a com- 
mon school and collegiate education. 



* To Louis A. Godey, the enterprising publisher of the "Lady's Book/' 
belongs the honor, we think, of being first to establish an original "Health 
Department;" We trust that his example will be followed by all of our 
leading papers and magazines. 

8 



83 VARIOUS MATTERS. 

Willful Violation. — A Fatal Delusion. — How 
many are there who knowingly and willfully violate the 
laws of health^ thus sinning, we might say, against 
their bodies with malice aforethought ! They indulge 
in some forbidden pleasure or injurious appetite, know- 
ing that sickness will be the consequence, under the 
delusive idea that they have but to take medicine, or 
send for a physician, and all will be right again. But 
how often are they fatally deceived ! True, medicine 
may, for the time, relieve the effects of gluttony or 
debauchery, but the frequent use of drugs will dis- 
order the functions of the body, and incurable disease 
will inevitably result from persistence in habits that 
render a frequent resort to such agents necessary. 
And again, medical science is uncertain at best, and 
the most approved remedies, when administered by 
the most skillful physician, too often fail, when disease 
has fixed itself on the vitals. But should the disease 
not prove immediately fatal, a momentary gratifica- 
tion will, in all probability, be followed by days, and 
weeks, and months, and years of suffering, permanent 
impairment of health, and premature death. 

Fruits of Obedience — Disease banished. — Such 
are the consequences of a disregard of the laws of 
health : let us now consider the fruits of obedience. It 
is true that we are exposed to dangers and accidents 
which are, to some extent, unavoidable, yet, while one 
falls in this way, hundreds of thousands are daily and 
hourly hurried to the grave through disregard of the 
plain precepts of Hygiene. Indeed it is our honest 
conviction that ninety-nine hundredths of the diseases 
that devastate the world and crowd our graveyards, 



VARIOUS MATTERS. 87 

could be prevented by attention to the plain and easily- 
understood laws of health. Yes, we believe this and 
more : we believe that full and perfect obedience to 
the laws of our being, would banish disease and 
deformity from the world, and finally restore our fallen 
race to the pristine beauty and perfection of our first 
parents when they emerged from the plastic hands of 
the great Creator. This may be considered extrava- 
gant by many, but it must be so, unless the work of 
the great Architect is imperfect — unless disease is the 
natural condition of mankind, and not the result of a 
violation of physical laws that are fixed and immu- 
table in their nature and consequences. Such, and so 
great, are the blessings offered by Hygeia* to those who 
make their offerings at her shrine — to those who, 
returning from their wanderings, perform their vows 
of obedience. 

Woman's Sufferings. — And surely woman will 
be the first of these returning votaries ; for, since the 
first act of disobedience — since she first partook of 
that forbidden fruit — " Whose mortal taste brought 
death into the world and all our woe," her lot has been 
a peculiarly hard one. From her weakness and de- 
pendence, from the nature of her physical organiza- 
tion, and the special duties imposed on her as a 
mother, she has been exposed, in an eminent degree, 
to all the evils arising from a violation of the laws of 
health ; and, at the same time, she has suffered much 
from the ignorance and malpractice of those on whom 
she has been dependent for medical advice. But we 

♦ Goddess of Health. 



88 OF AIR. 

cannot believe that the pain and disease that she has en- 
dured are entirely the result of the circumstances by 
which she is surrounded ; and we are still further from 
believing that all her sufferings are a direct curse in- 
flicted on her for her moral guilt. For while sin or 
moral guilt is the prime source of all the evils of life, 
disease does not flow directly from this source, but is 
the immediate and necessary consequence of viola- 
tions of physiological laws instituted for our govern- 
ment. The reward of obedience to those laws is 
health and happiness — the natural consequences of 
disobedience are disease, misery, and death. We are 
left free to act — to choose for ourselves — we can obey 
and live, or disobey and die. 



CHAPTER II. 

OF AIR. 

"Men consume too much food and too little pure airj they take 
too much medicine and too little exercise. more people die op 

AIR-TIGHT ROOMS THAN OF UNCHINKED LOG-CABINS." — HalVs Jour. Health. 

Composition of the Air. — Chemically, the air or 
common atmosphere is composed of oxygen and nitro- 
gen, with a variable, but generally small proportion of 
carbonic acid gas. Oxygen gas is the agent that sup- 
ports respiration and combustion. Nitrogen, which 
constitutes eighty parts in one hundred of the atmo- 
spheres, seems to act principally as a diluent; for 
undiluted oxygen would be too stimulating to the 



OF AIB. 89 

lungs. Carbon and nitrogen, when unmixed with 
oxygen, are generally spoken of as poisonous to tlie 
lungs, but they cannot be positive poisons when they 
are inhaled every breath, and the injurious and fatal 
effects from breathing these gases arise mainly from 
the absence of oxygen ; for the flame of life will no 
more burn without the presence of oxygen than the 
flame of a candle. 

Crowded Booms. — Oxygen gas being the vital ele- 
ment of the air, and being consumed by combustion, 
it follows that the air of crowded rooms where there 
is not a free circulation, and where numbers of lights 
are burning, will soon become unfit for healthy respira- 
tion. And in addition to the drafts made on the air 
by burning lights, every person consumes from seven 
to ten cubic feet of air every minute. In view of these 
facts, we cannot be surprised at the deleterious effects 
that ensue from frequenting, at night, crowded assem- 
bly rooms, churches, theatres, and other places of 
public resort, where, to the health-destroying influences 
of impure air, are superadded loss of rest and other 
influences calculated to weaken the vital powers, and 
invite disease. The air of such places is not only 
deprived of its vitality: it is vitiated and actually 
poisoned by the exhalations from the skins and lungs 
of the sweltering multitude. We have already seen 
that every one throws off a large amount of dead, 
worn-out matter, which would be highly injurious to 
the system if retained. It is hardly necessary to say 
that these matters taken into the system of others, 
could not be very conducive to health. 

8* 



90 OF AIB. 

It should never be forgotten, then, that the most 
concentrated and deadly impurities to which we can 
possibly be exposed, are to be encountered in a close 
room filled with human beings. And places of 
feasting, dancing, and theatrical entertainment, 
where ventilation is disregarded, and where pre- 
cious hours are frittered away in idle and corrupt- 
ing amusements, are fatal alike to physical and 
moral well-being, and are often the entrance-cham- 
bers to death and hell. 

The Air of Cities. — The whole air of cities, and 
other places where numbers are congregated, is more 
or less impure, as a necessary consequence of the 
various foreign elements commingled with it. One 
of the greatest evils of city life is the crowding 
of multitudes in garrets, cellars, and other dark, 
damp, narrow, filthy, and confined habitations. It 
is enough to make the heart sick to think of the 
moral and physical deterioration of our fellow- crea- 
tures, where the sexes are huddled together without 
distinction, like cattle, in these pestilential dens. 
From these centres of infection, issue streams of cor- 
ruption which poison the atmosphere, and spread 
contagion and death, moral and physical, through 
our cities. And these hot-beds of disease are to be 
found in every street, lane, and alley ; while the 
death-producing emanations from them are commin- 
gled with a whole atmosphere loaded with the 
effluvia from distilleries, cow-stables, hog pens, soap 
factories, slaughter-houses, grave-yards, and ten thou- 
sand other air-contaminating agencies peculiar to 



OF AIB. 91 

cities. No wonder then, that " Death, rides on every 
passing breeze," nor wants for victims to feed upon in 
our populous and dirty cities. 

Can Nothing be done? — What Women can do. 
— And can nothing be done to remedy this dreadful 
state of things? Shall the appeals of philanthropy, of 
Christianity, of common humanity, and self-preserva- 
tion, all pass alike unheeded? Surely not. Surely 
woman, pure, tender-hearted, loving woman, will do 
something to redeem her unfortunate fellow-creatures, 
and especially her own sex, from the thraldom of vice, 
disease, and death. Surely she will study and practice 
the laws of health herself, and do all that she can to 
diffuse hygiene knowledge among the masses, until 
the majority of the people shall be so far enlightened 
as to co-operate with our legislators in carrying out a 
thorough, radical, home reform of the evils to which we 
have adverted. This can be done ; this must be done ; 
this WILL be done ; and that mainly through the in- 
strumentality of woman — the greatest, the best of all 
reformers. Who, but her, has banished profane 
swearing from good society ? Who, but her, has put 
an end to fashionable tippling ? Who can do more 
than she — who has done more in every great moral 
and social reform ? And this is a work peculiarly her 
own; it is a work of philanthropy, of loving-kind- 
ness — it is a womanly work : it involves no conten- 
tions about " woman's rights," — no noisy and unfemi- 
nine assemblages — all that is necessary is to read, 
practice, and disseminate the great truths of Hygiene — 
to visit the poor and the sick — to minister to their 



92 CAPACITY OF THE LUNGS. 

wants, and to teach them that there is a "better way," 
physically as well as morally — and then, the work is 
done! For if the people could be thus enlightened, 
the evils of which we now so bitterly complain could 
not long exist in the United States of America, where 
all power belongs to the masses. 

Capacity of the Lungs. 

Effects of Impure Air, &c. — Impure air not only 
poisons the blood, as we have seen, but it diminishes 
the breathing capacity; for when the air is loaded 
with foreign and irritating matters, the air-passages 
contract spasmodically, so that the necessary quantity 
of air does not enter the lungs. 

Sedentary Habits. — Seamstresses. — Sedentary 
habits are very unfavorable to full and free expansion 
of the lungs ; and women, from the nature of their 
occupations, are peculiarly exposed to the dangers 
arising from this source. But many of the evils now 
considered unavoidable may be escaped by attention to 
the following directions, which are specially designed 
to invigorate the muscles of respiration, and to increase 
the quanity of air breathed. It is unfortunately true 
that many women are compelled by stern necessity to 
spend almost every hour over the needle, or in some 
occupation scarcely less injurious ; but much can be 
done to alleviate the hard lot, and preserve the health 
even of these unfortunates, if they can be induced to 
practice those things that are calculated to counteract 
the health-destroying influences by which they are 
surrounded. And it is not too much to hope that the 



CAPACITY OF THE LUNGS. 98 

use of hygienic means, so far as circumstances will 
permit; together with the change of employment con- 
sequent on the more general introduction of sewing- 
machines, will, ere long, relieve the victims of the 
needle from the ills under which they have so long 
groaned. 

Fashionable Ladies. — This is a large class that 
suffers no less from confinement and want of air than 
the one just alluded to. And we are sorry to add that 
most of. these have nothing to plead in extenuation 
of their disregard of one of the first great laws of 
health. Therefore their case is even more hopeless 
than that of the toiling slaves of necessity ; because 
their condition is voluntary, many of them being wil- 
ling self-offered victims. These fashionable off-shoots 
of modern society, these "nice" young ladies, consider 
it vulgar to appear abroad on foot, and they would 
ride in a carriage to the kitchen, if they ever had 
occasion to go there ; they spend their days in loung- 
ing on sofas in parlors, from which the brighj sun- 
light of heaven and the pure air are excluded with as 
much pertinacity as a poor relation, or one of the 
" lower class," who does not affect gentility and aris- 
tocracy. And can such deluded creatures as these ex- 
pect to enjoy health ? How can they expect anything 
but contracted chests, crooked spines, round shoulders, 
consumption, physical and mental imbecility, and an 
early grave ? And alas ! with many the delusion, if it 
may be called a delusion, is wilful. As strange as it may 
appear, they are not entirely ignorant ; many of them 
are educated, and, though their reading is confined 



94 CAPACITY OF THE LUNGS. 

mostly to the "last new novel," they know something 
of the laws of health ; they know, at any rate, that air 
was made to breathe, and that the absence of pure fresh 
air makes them feel very bad. But then they do not 
want to be stout and hearty ! These are marks of 
plebeianism and rusticity — they are the characteristics 
of "common people" — "country girls" who roam 
about the fields, and even condescend to engage in the 
vulgar and " ungenteel" employments of domestic life. 
All of which is decidedly unbecoming and unfashion- 
able : for it is fashionable to be sick. Lilies are pre- 
ferred to roses — the pale cheek and languishing air 
are so much more "interesting" according to modern 
notions, than the ruddy complexion, and the free 
elastic step. Well may we say, in the face of such 
folly and perversity as this, that these cases are 
almost hopeless ! For we hardly know how to address 
those who thus wilfully violate the laws of their 
being — who sin against themselves and their God, and 
barter the most precious treasure of life for trifles 
lighter than air ! Oh ! that the republican women of 
America would cease all affectation of aristocracy, and 
especially that kind of aristocracy or gentility, or 
rather foolery } which sneers at useful labor, and con- 
siders blooming health an evidence of vulgarity ! 

Intense Mental Application. — Light Beading. 
— Intense application of the mind interrupts free 
breathing, and prevents fall expansion of the lungs. 
Hence writers and literary persons should sedulously 
use every means calculated to counteract the tendency 
to contraction of the chest, and consequent diminution 



MEANS OF EXPANDING THE LUNGS. 95 

of vitality. And it should be remembered that im- 
perfect respiration is not only the result of abstruse 
investigations, but also of that species of " light read- 
ing" so common among ladies. In this kind of read- 
ing the feelings are skillfully wrought up to a high 
state of excitement by the writer, until the breathing 
is almost suspended by anxiety, suspense, and other 
emotions awakened by the thrilling story, in which 
the mighty passions of love, anger, remorse, revenge, 
&c, are so vividly depicted as to steal away our con- 
sciousness, and make us forget that it is all a dream 
of fancy. 

Bad Positions. — These are often associated with 
intense mental application, and they are then particu- 
larly injurious. Persons who are in the habit of 
writing or reading, with the body bent forward, are 
exposed to the combined influence of two causes of 
deformity and contracted chest, that no constitution 
can long withstand. These bad positions prevent the 
full expansion of the lungs by compressing the chest, 
and interfering with the breathing muscles. 

Means of Expanding the Lungs. 

Tends to pkomote Health. — The capacity of the 
lungs being the measure of vitality ; or in other words, 
the quantity of air, our lungs may be able to contain, 
being the evidence of our power to resist disease and 
death, it follows that everything that increases the 
capacity of the lungs, tends to promote health and 
long life. These things are therefore worthy of 
special attention. 

Directions fob the Sedentary. — Those whp are 



96 MEANS 0E EXPANDING THE LUNGS. 

necessarily compelled to sit much, should if possible 
have intervals devoted to exercise ; and this exercise 
should be as prolonged and vigorous, as their bodily 
strength will allow. And if it be so that they cannot 
spare any considerable and fixed time for exercise,- 
they should frequently arise from their seats, and 
bring the muscles of the chest and abdomen into 
action, by widely extending the arms, by elevating 
them, by moving them rapidly and forcibly backward 
and forward; and by throwing the shoulders back, 
and at the same time inhaling as much air as the lungs 
can possibly contain, and then " breathing out" slowly. 
Running up a flight of stairs, at the same time " hold- 
ing the breath," is a most excellent and available mode 
of expanding the lungs, recommended by Dr. Hall, in 
his late work, " Health and Disease." Another mode 
of expanding the lungs, suggested by the same writer, 
and one accessible to all, is to "blow up" or fill life- 
preservers, bladders, &c, by blowing into them. In 
the absence of any such things the lungs might be 
very well inflated by drawing in the breath "full and 
long," and then blowing in the closed hand. The 
advantage of these modes, is that the lungs are very 
powerfully distended by the expansion of the air 
drawn into them, through the agency of heat, in 
accordance with a principle, with which almost every- 
body is familiar. This is more particularly true of 
the running-up- stairs mode, which we consider a most 
happy idea. The above directions are so easily fol- 
lowed, even by those who "have no time" to attend 
to their health, that it seems strange that any one 
should neglect them, when convinced of the vital im- 
portance of well-filled and well-developed lungs to 



MEANS OF EXPANDING THE LUNGS. 97 

health. Neglect of these simple and accessible mea- 
sures on the part of the sedentary, arises more from in- 
disposition to exertion, than from want of time and 
opportunity. In such persons this indisposition is 
almost insuperable ; and nothing can overcome it 
except a firm ever-present conviction, that health and 
life are the prizes to be obtained by breaking the fatal 
spell of indolence. The fact is, where one is subjected 
to unavoidable . disease from confinement, there are 
hundreds of thousands who ignorantly or wilfully* 
neglect the means of counteracting the evils to which 
they are exposed from the nature of their occupation. 

DIRECTION'S FOR THOSE WHO HAVE MORE LEISURE. — 

The directions above given are applicable to all, but 
they are intended more particularly for the sedentary 
and for the toiling millions who have to labor for their 
daily bread. Those who have more leisure may ex- 
ercise the muscles of the chest, arms, and abdomen, 
and thus increase the breathing capacity, by throwing 
weights, and by grasping something above the head, 
and then raising the body by the arms. The latter 
is a most excellent mode of exercising the breathing 
muscles, and it should not be rejected because it may 
look a little unlady-like for a grown woman to be 
swinging by the arms child-fashion. Every one can 
have a small ladder, or something of the kind, in her 
room, and, in the absence of anything else, she can 
hang herself up by grasping the top of the door. 
These motions should be practiced every morning at 
least. And those who take but little out-door exer- 
cise, and who are so fortunate, or rather unfortunate, 
as not to be compelled to labor, will find these lung- 
er 9 



98 MEANS OF EXPANDING TH# LUNGS. 

expanding and health-promoting exercises much bet- 
ter for them in every way than any "piano practiced ' 
In addition to these special means of expanding the 
chest, every woman who desires health and happiness 
should take as much out-door exercise as circumstances 
will permit. We will recur to this under a subse- 
quent head. 

Women" should not submit to Eestraints. — No 
false notions of gentility and propriety — no unreason- 
able subserviency to public opinion should deter any 
woman from engaging in sports or exercises that will 
increase the size of her lungs, and fill them with an 
abundance of pure health-giving and life-sustaining 
air. For, after all, many of the restraints laid on 
women are absurd, unreasonable, and destructive in 
their effects on health, and should therefore be disre- 
garded : for what if upper-tendom does sneer, and what 
if moustached, Frenchified dandies do call you vulgar ! 
You have a natural and inalienable right "to life, 
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness ;" and the daugh- 
ters of the heroes of '76 should sternly resist any 
tampering with their birthright ; and especially by a 
brainless set of fools and simpering jackdaws, who 
would sacrifice life to a shoe-buckle if Fashion so 
decreed. Should there be any who have not the 
courage to stem the tide of fashionable folly, and to 
seek health at all hazards, we particularly commend 
to them the special means of developing the breathing 
muscles which may be used in private. Yet we must 
be permitted to add that no compromise should be 
made with error, and that no woman who takes a 
proper view of things will make any concessions when 



CHANGE OF AIR. 99 

the senseless requisitions of Fashion come in conflict 
with the high and sacred obligations of Health. 
Better, far better, to be considered unfashionable, and 
even vulgar, than to spend a few sad days in gilded 
misery, and then to rot in an early grave ! 

Change of Air. 

No Advantage in Change in itself. — The remark- 
able benefits that have been witnessed from a change of 
place in some cases of sickness, have given rise to the 
prevalent idea that there is something magical and 
wonderfully curative in the very change itself, apart 
from the concomitants of such change. But as pure 
air is essentially the same the world over, it is obvious 
that no change can be beneficial unless it be a change 
from an impure atmosphere, or one in some way un- 
suited to the case, to one more suitable by its purity, 
moisture, dryness, temperature, or something of this 
kind. Where these conditions of the air are more 
favorable, a change from a better to a worse air may 
be beneficial in some cases ; yet it should be remem- 
bered that the improvement is due to the accidental 
state of the air and the concomitants of the change, 
such as traveling, new scenery, &c. : in short, that the 
invalid improves in spite of the bad air. There is no 
foundation then for the notion that a change is .benefi- 
cial in any case merely as a change ; and it is still more 
absurd to suppose that impure air can be better in 
itself than pure air. As just intimated, there are many 
accidental conditions that modify the action of air on 
the human system ; and hence some cases might be 
benefited by a change from a pure dry air to an atmo- 



100 MEANS OF PURIFYING THE AIR, ETC. 

sphere comparatively impure but moist. And this is 
the reason perhaps why the inhabitants of the most 
airy part of Edinburgh find it beneficial to send their 
children with hooping-cough to Cowgate street, a 
street filled with filth and water. 

Means of purifying the Air, etc. 

Private Kooms — Fires — Ventilation. — It has 
been seen that there is a very close connection 
between our fires and the air of our rooms. In 
addition to the chemical changes, the air of a room 
is altered as to its density and moisture by the 
burning of a fire ; and in many cases these conditions 
are as important as the chemical constitution of the 
air. Fires are also most important agents of ventila- 
tion, by keeping up a current through a room, and 
by passing off impurities through the chimney; 
provided the air can enter the room freely. Hence 
every room in which a fire is kept burning should 
be well supplied with air, so as to make a sufficient 
current to drive impurities up the chimney. 

Fire-places and Stoves. — Fire-places are far pre- 
ferable to stoves for purposes of ventilation. Stoves 
radiate more heat through a room than fire-places, 
and are therefore more economical, but they rarify 
and dry the air more than fire-places, and conse- 
quently render it less fit for breathing. The fact 
is, we look on stoves as among the greatest curses 
of "modern civilization ;" but as they will, in all 
probability, continue to be used through considera- 
tions of comfort and economy, we cannot too strongly 
insist on the vital importance of having a free ingress- 



MEANS OF PURIFYING THE AIR, ETC. 101 

of air when a room is heated by a stove. Moisture 
should also be provided for:* dry warm air is 
heating and irritating to the lungs, exciting inflam- 
mation, cough, and "bleeding at the lungs," when 
these organs are predisposed to disease. And even 
where there is no special predisposition, actual disease 
may soon be developed by confinement in a close 
room heated by a stove. The influence of breathing 
a highly rarified air is not sufficiently appreciated; 
yet it must be manifest, on a moment's reflection, that 
•a volume of air that is heated and expanded must 
contain less oxygen or vitality than an equal volume 
not so expanded. It follows then that air heated by 
a stove or fire-place, and especially by the former, if 
the room be close, is to a considerable extent unfit for 
breathing for want of a sufficiency of the vital ele- 
ment of respiration. Persons whose breathing capa- 
cities are diminished from disease, or whose chests are 
naturally small, on going into a room filled with rari- 
fied air are troubled with shortness of breath, a feel- 
ing as if the lungs could not be sufficiently filled, an 
indescribable sense of uneasiness, a faintness, dizzi- 
ness, &c. 

Smoking Lamps, &c— How to purify the Air. — 
Smoking lamps and candles not only exhaust the air 
of its oxygen — they send up volumes of rank offensive 
gases which poison the atmosphere of a room and 
render it highly offensive to those not accustomed to 
-such things ; and yet, strange as it may appear, many 



1 By placing a vessel of water on the stove. 

9* 



102 MEANS OF PURIFYING THE AIR, ETC. 

become so habituated to this odor that they never per- 
ceive it. 

The remedy is obvious. Besides the free admission 
of air, there is a special method of purifying the atmo- 
sphere of a room that is very convenient and effectual, 
and should therefore be generally adopted. This is 
simply to open all the doors and windows, and then 
to swing one door violently backward and forward so 
as to fan out the room. This is a highly useful pro- 
cedure in cases of sickness. 

Sleeping-Rooms. — Special attention should be 
given to the ventilation of sleeping-rooms, for pure 
air and an abundance of it are more necessary 
when we are asleep than when we are awake. 
Sleeping-rooms should be large, high, and airy. 
But many stow themselves away at night, in little, 
low, air-tight pigeon-holes, as if sleep suspended 
respiration and rendered air unnecessary. No one 
should ever sleep in a close room with all the 
doors and windows closed: even in the coldest 
weather, at least one window should be partly raised 
so as to admit fresh air, so arranging it as to avoid 
a draft or current on the sleeper. Sleeping-rooms 
should not be less than twelve feet square, and 
they should not be encumbered with any furniture, 
except what is absolutely necessary. Flowers should 
not be left in vases, &c, in a sleeping-room. Bed- 
curtains should be banished from bed-rooms as 
worse than useless, for if fresh air is admitted into* 
the room, it is more or less excluded from the 
bed by the curtains, while the sleeper is compelled 
to breathe over and over again, an air exhausted 



MEANS OF PURIFYING THE AIR, ETC. 103 

of its vitality, and poisoned by the exhalations 
from the body. So let bed-curtains go the way of 
baby caps, and be numbered among the things that 
were. 

"Bad Colds."— Night Air. — Persons who will 
follow the above directions, need not be alarmed 
about "bad colds ;" for the plan prescribed, so far 
from causing colds, is one of the most effectual 
preventives: the fact is, more colds are caused by 
heat than by cold, and where one is injuriously 
affected by the direct effects of cold, there are 
hundreds who die from breathing an impure, over- 
heated air, and from the effects of changes for 
which they are wholly unprepared, on account of 
their habits. How often is it the case that one, 
who has been in the habit of sleeping in a close 
ceiled room, is compelled in traveling or visiting, to 
spend a night in an open room, perhaps an unchinked 
log-cabin. And what is the consequence? A bad 
cold, if nothing worse, which is chargeable to the air- 
tight room at home, and not to the log-cabin. But, 
then, that night air, that horrid night air ! what shall 
we do about that ! Shall we allow this death-dealing 
visitant to roam freely through the sacred retreat 
where beauty reclines? Shall we suffer the horrid 
monster to kiss her fair cheek ? Yes, we say let him 
in ; for though he has been abused much, and though 
he does move about under cover of darkness, he was 
certainly created for some useful purpose ; and we are 
forced to the conclusion that night air was intended 
for human lungs, from the fact that these lungs continue 
to play by night as well as by day, while there is 



104 MEANS OF PURIFYING THE AIR, ETC. 

nothing for them to use at night but night air. To 
speak seriously on this subject, nothing has been more 
prolific in disease and death than those popular errors 
which attribute all kinds of deadly effects to breath- 
ing night air ; for while it is admitted that night air 
may be impregnated with elements of disease in cer- 
tain marshy districts, it is equally true that it has 
nothing in itself more unfriendly to the human con- 
stitution than day air. And even admitting that night 
air may be the vehicle of ague and fever, or that it 
may sometimes bo injurious from excessive dampness, 
or some other accidental condition, yet it cannot possi- 
bly be worse than the double concentrated extract of 
disease and death, generated in a close unventilated 
sleeping-room. So we say, choose the night air in 
preference to close confinement, under all circum- 
stances, and thus prepare the system for changes of 
weather, and for those unavoidable exposures to which 
all are incident in life. Avoid any unnecessary or 
rash exposure, but have air enough, at all hazards; 
and should you be so unfortunate as to have a touch 
of the "chills," you have the agreeable satisfaction, of 
knowing that you have chosen the least of evils — that 
it is far better to have a short spell of a curable and 
not very dangerous disease, than a life-long train of 
incurable aches and pains, the end whereof is an early 
grave. 

Late Suppers. — An over-loaded stomach presses up 
the midriff, thus diminishing the breathing capacity ; 
and consequently the circulation of the blood is dis- 
turbed, the brain is over-loaded, giving rise to horrid 
dreams, nightmare, sleepwalking, &c. There can be 



OF LIGHT. 105 

no doubt that many of the "mysterious dispensations 
of Providence," in which persons go to bed well and 
are found dead in the morning, might with more jus- 
uce ; be charged to late and heavy suppers, than to 
God. 



CHAPTEE III. 
OF LIGHT. 

Effects of Light on Plants, &c. — To appreciate 
the effects of light on organized bodies, it is only neces- 
sary to observe those plants that grow up in the shade. 
Plants thus excluded from the light are colorless, 
sickly, and brittle. Light has the power of reversing 
completely the vital and chemical changes of vegetable 
life, for vegetation absorbs carbon and gives out oxy- 
gen in the day, while at night just the reverse is the 
case. It is not at all unreasonable to suppose that a 
similar control is exerted over animal life by light. But 
we are not left to supposition in this matter : the sal- 
low bloodless faces, and the feeble bodies of the deni- 
zens of narrow streets and alleys, and dark cellars, 
demonstrate the analogy between the animal and vege- 
table kingdoms in their relations to light. The reason 
why the influence of light over animal life has attracted 
so little attention is, because its absence has generally 
been associated with bad air, unwholesome food, filth, 
and other circumstances which have been considered 
sufficient in themselves to account for ill health. 

How it acts on Animal Life — Veiled Ladies — 



106 OF DRINKS. 

Shade Trees. — Light has a powerful influence in 
decomposing and dissipating poisonous emanations; 
it also gives color and firmness to the skin, and is 
doubtless necessary to that full physical development 
that constitutes a perfect form — one of the greatest 
beauties of woman. Ladies, then, who keep them- 
selves and their children excluded from the sun-light 
of heaven — who remain shut up in dark rooms, or 
who go out hooded and veiled, to prevent the warm 
and healthful kisses of the sun, violate an important 
law of health and beauty. It is hardly necessary to 
say that light should be a prime consideration in the 
construction of houses, both for convenience and 
health. Shade trees and shrubbery should not be 
crowded around the windows so as to intercept the 
light, for besides , obstructing the light they give off 
hurtful emanations, and particularly at night. 



CHAPTER IV. 

OF DRINKS. 

Nature's Beverage. — Water is " nature's own" 
and only beverage. For milk, though consisting largely 
of water, is made subservient to the animal economy 
not as a diluent or vehicle, but as a solid nutriment 
by means of the butter, caseine, &c, that enter into its 
composition. Water then is the only drink provided 
by nature for plants and animals; and as nature is 
only another name for unerring Wisdom itself, it 



OF DRINKS. 10T 

follows thau water should be the only beverage of per- 
sons in health. 

Uses of Water to the Economy. — Water con- 
stitutes much the larger portion of the entire bulk of 
the human body ; it is the vehicle by which all nourish- 
ment is conveyed into the blood, and through the blood 
to every part of the system for its replenishment. 
Water conveys to the excretory or cleansing organs, 
all the waste, worn-out, irritating matters ; and it is 
the only thing that can circulate freely and constantly 
throughout every part of the body without irritation 
or injury. It, then, is the great solvent, diluent, 
purifier, sedative, and carrier of animal and vegetable 
life ; it dissolves everything that passes into the system, 
and everything that passes out, so far as this is neces- 
sary ; it mingles with all the elements of the body and 
dilutes them, or tempers them down, so that they may 
circulate through the most delicate and sensitive parts 
without the least injury or excitement ; it purifies by 
washing out every part ; it soothes by purifying, and 
by its direct sedative and cooling properties ; and 
finally it conveys as a universal animal solvent. With 
these facts before us, is it not strange that the question 
should have ever been discussed as to whether man is 
a drinking animal or not ? And is it not still more 
strange that a few have ably argued the negative, thus 
making "the worse appear the better reason?" 

The Quantity of Water required. — The quan- 
tity of water demanded by the system depends greatly 
on our habits with regard to diet, exercise, &c- 
Those who use a concentrated, highly seasoned, or 
dry diet, or those who take active exercise, will of 



108 OF DRINKS. 

course drink more than others under opposite circum- 
stances. Those who eat freely of cooling watery 
vegetables may find it necessary to drink but little. 
But after all there is nothing that will produce those 
direct, cooling, soothing, and satisfying effects which 
we experience from a draught of pure cold water 
fresh from the hand of Nature, as she pours it from 
her crystal founts. As we have just seen, some con- 
tend that it is not necessary to drink at all — that 
sufficient fluid can be supplied to the body by a 
properly selected diet ; there are others who seem to 
think that the stomach was only designed as a reser- 
voir for water — that it should always be kept filled 
to its utmost capacity, so as to afford an abundant 
stream to be poured through the skin, and all the 
excretory outlets. This extravagant use of water 
has become quite fashionable under the auspices of 
Hydropathy, and is the legitimate result of that ex- 
clusiveness and one-ideaism which would confine 
all medical virtue to a single remedy. This abuse 
of water must be injurious, by over-distending the 
stomach, and by diluting too much the gastric 
juice ; but no rule as to quantity can be given 
that would be appropriate for every one. Healthy 
persons may follow the dictates of nature, and 
drink according to thirst ; but it should be dis- 
tinctly remembered that stimulating food and drinks, 
some kinds of mental excitement, and some occupa- 
tions, create a morbid or unhealthy thirst, which, 
though it may be a correct guide as to the wants of 
the system under the circumstances, as plainly indi- 



OF DRINKS. 100 

cates that there is something wrong in our habits. 
Therefore it is the part of wisdom, whenever we find 
that our desire for water is much greater than usual, 
carefully to review our manner of living, so that we 
may trace this symptom to its source, and by a timely 
reformation avoid impending disease. 

Time for Drinking. — As to the time for drinking 
water, something like a correct general rule may be 
given. It is injurious to take a large quantity of 
water or any other fluid while eating, or while diges- 
tion is going on. It follows, then, that the best time 
for drinking is when the stomach is comparatively 
empty. Hydropaths are great advocates for profuse 
w&tex-drenchings early in the morning ; but we can see 
no advantage from this, unless it be that the stomach 
is more empty at that time; and it is also probable 
that the passing off of morbid matters is facilitated.. 
Aside from these considerations, we can see no 
reason why it would not be just as well to take our 
principal supply of water about four or five hours 
after eating. But there are many exceptions to the 
general rule above given; for there may be cases 
where, from the dryness of the food, or from the 
peculiar condition of the stomach, or from the state of 
the general system, it may be useful to drink pretty 
freely while eating, or very soon afterwards. So,, 
after all, the best rule is to try to live right; to regu- 
late our habits so as to keep all the organs in a healthy 
condition, and then follow the dictates of Nature, drink- 
ing according to thirst, with the full assurance that . 
she will be a safer guide, under those circumstances 
than all the rule-makers and theorists in the world. 

10 



110 OF DRINKS. 

Temperature of Drinks. — As to the temperature 
of drinks, those that are cool or moderately warm are 
more healthful than those that are extremely hot or 
cold. And, if our habits as to diet were as they 
should be, we would not have that morbid desire for 
very cold, iced, and acid drinks which so often leads 
to excessive indulgence and fatal consequences. The 
best plan, then, to avoid the dangers arising from this 
source, is to refrain from the use of highly seasoned 
food and stimulating drinks. By pursuing this course, 
it is highly probable that we might safely gratify any 
moderate and natural desire we might have for cold 
drinks. But, in the present mode of living; all who 
indulge in iced beverages are in great danger, because 
the desire is unnatural, acquired, while the very things 
that create the craving, at the same time render the 
system incapable of gratifying it with impunity. 
Ladies, in their attendance on night parties, and other 
places of public resort, are much exposed to dangers 
arising from the excessive use of cold drinks. At 
such places, there is a combination of circumstances 
well calculated to excite an unnatural artificial thirst, 
while the same influences render the system peculiarly 
susceptible to any morbid impression. These thirst- 
provoking and disease-inviting agencies are crowded 
and over-heated rooms, highly stimulating food and 
•drinks, and in many cases a degree of mental excite- 
ment bordering on delirium, from the active play of 
all the social and moral feelings that can agitate the 
human breast. These combined excitants fan the 
whole organism into a feverish flame ; the lungs are 
heated and debilitated, the brain is feverish, the nerves 



ARTIFICIAL DRINKS. Ill 

are agitated, the stomach is oppressed ; and now a 
large draught of some iced and acid beverage is taken, 
and incurable disease or sudden death is the sad con- 
sequence. Those who have weak lungs are peculiarly 
exposed to the dangers we are endeavoring to depict ; 
and a single glass of ice-cream, or draught of ice- 
water, under the circumstances mentioned, has too 
often been like a chalice charged with deadly hemlock! 
A Warning to Women. — In view of these dangers, 
then, we would most earnestly warn our fair readers 
against the use of very cold drinks, and especially at 
night parties, when the body is heated and debilitated. 
Rely not on your youth, and your vigorous constitu- 
tion ; and be not lulled into false security by the 
absence of. any immediate ill effects ; for be assured 
that/ettf, VERY few, can indulge with impunity — that 
slow dyspepsia, or some insidious form of disease, will 
be the result, though the consequences may not always 
be immediate and manifest. The only safety, under 
such circumstances of excitement, is in total abstinence. 
Would that we could express all that we feel on this 
subject ! would that we could effectually warn our 
fair countrywomen against the thoughtless indul- 
gences of fashionable parties, which have hurried so 
many of the fairest and the best to the grave ! 

Artificial Drinks. 

Wines, Cordials, &c. — The artificial drinks intro- 
duced by the caterers to the depraved tastes of 
"modern civilization" are almost innumerable ; but we 
only propose to notice those in most common use, in 
their relations to health. As to the stronger alcoholic 



112 ARTIFICIAL DRINKS. 

drinks, brandy, rum, &c, &c., it is needless for us to 
say anything to ladies, for no warning is necessary to 
induce them to discountenance, both by precept and 
example, a habit so unlady-like, so destructive in its 
physical and moral effects, as the use of ardent spirits 
as a beverage. And women of all classes and condi- 
tions — in the humblest as well as the highest walks 
of life — will surely wage a ceaseless warfare against 
these fell destroyers which have murdered so many 
of their fathers, husbands, and brothers, and brought 
so many of their children to penury and rags. But a 
word of caution may be necessary as to the use of 
wines, cordials, liquors, and various Frenchified com- 
pounds that come under the head of "light innocent (!) 
drinks, suitable for the delicate palates of ladies." 
Even admitting that the pure juice of the grape is not 
hurtful, these wines and ''fancy drinks" should be 
wholly rejected ; for most of them are vile compounds 
of home manufacture, containing various deleterious 
and even poisonous ingredients, which must be more 
or less detrimental to health, apart from the exciting- 
effects of the alcoholic element. These drinks are 
made up of alcohol colored with logwood, and 
sweetened with sugar of lead and such like dye stuffs. 
We repeat, then, that all these should be entirely 
rejected; for, apart from their influence on health, 
women should never encourage a practice by their 
example, which may lead others to stronger drinks 
and a drunkard's grave. The whole class of alcoholic 
drinks, from the mildest to the strongest, should be 
regarded as medicines, useful, indeed, in some morbid 



AETIFICIAL DRINKS. 113 

conditions, but fraught with clanger when used either 
habitually or occasionally, in health, and as beve- 
rages. 

Tea and Coffee.— This is one of the vexed ques- 
tions in dietetics—doctors differ so much that we very 
much fear that people will take license to do pretty 
much as they please. Yet we feel in duty bound to 
give our views, however much they may conflict with 
those of others. Abd-el-Kadir says that " God has 
deprived fools of coffee, and the truth is not known 
except to the wise, who drink it from the foaming 
coffee cup." This sounds a little like the extravagance 
of Eastern hyperbole. The ultra-hydropaths, who 
look on sage-tea and mint-iuater as poisons, of course 
roundly denounce both tea and coffee even as medi- 
cines. Dr. Hall, a very popular writer, endeavors 
rery cautiously to steer between extremes. He says 
in his "Journal of Health:" "Considering our habits 
of life, coffee, as a beverage for breakfast, is nutritious 
and healthful, and may be taken in moderation, for a 
lifetime, without failing of its advantageous effects, 
A single cup, moderately strong, never increased i& 
strength, frequency, or quantity, is a positive good, 
and is far better than as much cold water at any meal, 
especially to invalids or persons of feeble digestion." 
All these restrictions and qualifications show plainly 
that the writer considers himself on very ticklish 
ground ; and when this defence is analyzed, what does 
it amount to? Why nothing but a comparison of 
the effects of hot and cold drinks — a compromise witt 
our bad habits — the admission of one evil to counter 
act others, and a prescription for invalids. This mode 
H 10* 



114 ARTIFICIAL DRINKS. 

of treating tlie subject is very objectionable; instead 
of making dietetic prescriptions to suit bad habits, 
the cause of truth requires that these habits should be 
boldly attacked, and the necessity for a doubtful and 
dangerous remedy be thus avoided. And even admit- 
ting that tea and coffee could be safely used after Dr. 
Hall's cautious manner, no one at all acquainted with 
human nature can believe, for a moment, that the 
drinking would be restricted to a single cup, at break- 
fast, moderately strong, and never increased in strength, 
frequency, or quantity. Why, it would be just about 
as easy to believe in the literal truth of Abd-el-Kadir's 
extravagant encomium, and to come to the conclusion 
that all coffee drinkers are exceedingly wise. 

Our Views — Properties of Tea and Coffee. — 
So much for the opinions of the doctors. By most of 
the people, these beverages are considered indispensa- 
ble necessaries absolutely essential to existence ; and 
many families would as soon think of doing without 
bread as without tea and coffee. To such we say, lay 
aside the prejudices of education, as far as possible, 
and hear the properties of these favorite drinks. It 
is admitted on all hands that tea and coffee contain 
very little nutriment ; that tea, and especially green 
tea, is astringent ; while both tea and coffee are narcotic 
stimulants, producing effects on the brain and nerves 
similar to those of opium, laudanum, &c. These 
things being so, then, surely no one will contend that 
astringents, stimulants, and narcotics are necessary 
for healthy persons ; on the contrary, all must admit 
that the free use of drinks possessed of these proper- 
ties must be injurious. Astringents draw and contract 



ARTIFICIAL DRINKS. 115 

the stomach and bowels, and diminish the healthy 
secretions ; stimulants and narcotics excite the heart, 
brain, and nerves, and this excitement is followed by 
dullness, and a general sinking and giving way of the 
mind and body when the accustomed stimulus is with- 
drawn. Such being the effects of tea and coffee, they 
cannot be properly regarded either as food or drink ; 
and they must therefore be placed among the ihedi- 
cines, with alcohol, opium, and such like. As medi- 
cines, they are unobjectionable ; and they might often 
be used to great advantage in disease, to the exclusion 
of more dangerous remedies, if the brain and nerve3 
were not blunted and paralyzed by their habitual use 
as beverages. These views will doubtless be regarded 
by many as the idle fancies of a dreamer ; but though 
they may be ridiculed now, we believe that truth will 
ultimately prevail; that a physiological millennium 
has already dawned on this disease smitten earth ; and 
we trust that the day is not very far distant, when the 
general diffusion of sound hygienic knowledge will 
banish tea and coffee from the table, and place them 
on the shelves of the apothecary. 

Effects of Tea and Coffee on Women ani> 
Children. — The common practice of allowing chil- 
dren two or three cups of strong coffee or tea at each 
meal, cannot be too strongly condemned. In children, 
the nervous system is highly excitable, and the use 
of these beverages increases the tendency to convul- 
sions and other grave affections originating in over- 
excitement of the brain and nerves. If a child be 
trained physically, in the " way in which he should 
go" — if proper attention be paid to air, exercise. diet. 



116 ARTIFICIAL DRINKS. 

clothing, and bathing, there will be no necessity for 
any artificial excitants to drive the vital machinery, 
except in some extreme cases of hereditary or con- 
genital weakness; and even original constitutional 
defects can be much better remedied by a judicious- 
use of the hygienic agents mentioned, than by the use 
of all the nervines, stimulants, and tonics in the whole 
drug catalogue. Many of the general and peculiar 
disorders so common among women, doubtless arise 
from the excessive use of tea and coffee* Some of 
these can only be mentioned in this place. " Whites," 
which is one of the most common disorders to which 
women are subject, is caused in many cases by indul- 
gence in tea, coffee, and other warm enervating "slops," 
These drinks render the blood thin and watery, while 1 
they relax and weaken the blood-vessels, so that they 
pour out this whitish discharge, or a thin watery 
blood : in the first case, the discharge is called "whites" 
— in the second, excessive menstruation. The general 
derangements of health arising from the use of tea. 
and coffee are too numerous to be mentioned even? 
some of them are disorders of the nervous system,, 
such as headache, trembling, hysterics, and all the» 
nameless ills embraced in the term "nervousness:" 
besides these we have indigestion with its manifold 
symptoms, &c, &c. And there can be no doubt that 
the complexion is injured by these drinks, and par- - 
ticularly by the use of coffee ; for reason would teach 
us that any habit that would produce the serioua 
derangements mentioned, would affect the skin ; and 
*>ur reasoning is fully confirmed by observation. For- 



ARTIFICIAL DRINKS. 117 

proof, look at the sallow wrinkled skins of confirmed 
coffee drinkers. 

Total Abstinence. — In conclusion, then, we advise 
our readers, as they value their own health, as they 
value the health of their children, as they prize the 
charms of all-powerful beauty, to refrain from the 
use of tea and coffee as beverages. Declare total 
abstinence except as medicines ; for if a great deal will 
4o much harm, a little will do some harm ; and as we 
are constantly liable to excess, even admitting that 
there is a safe point of very moderate jHaW-indulgence, 
it is better, far better, to follow the advice so strongly 
insisted on with regard to alcoholic and iced drinks. 

Chocolate. — This being destitute of the stimulating 
and narcotic properties of tea and coffee, is much more 
wholesome. Indeed, there is nothing objectionable 
.about this drink, except the large quantity of oil it 
contains. This makes it difficult of digestion, and 
therefore unsuitable for weak stomachs: except in 
such cases, the cause of health would be much pro- 
moted by the substitution of chocolate for tea and 
coffee. 

Hot- water Tea. — Hot-water tea (Dr. Hall's " cam- 
bric tea") used to be quite common in the days of our 
childhood, and it would be well for us to return to it. 
Being made of simple hot water mixed with milk and 
sugar, it is highly nourishing, unstimulating, and 
entirely destitute of all injurious properties ; and 
besides, the temperature can be adapted to the condi- 
tion of the stomach where cold drinks are objection- 
able. And in addition to all this, it is palatable to 
every taste which has not been blunted and perverted 



118 ARTIFICIAL DRINKS. 

by high " seasonings" and strong drinks. We believe 
that ninety-nine children out of every hundred would 
take to hot-water tea as naturally as to their mother's 
milk, while the taste for tea and coffee is unnatural 
and acquired. 

Acidulous Drinks — Ale, Porter, &c, &c. — 
Acidulous drinks, such as lemonade and the expressed 
juice of various fruits, are unobjectionable when taken 
in moderation, but they are better in sickness than in 
health, and should never take the place of pure, sim- 
ple, unadulterated water. Soda water is water impreg- 
nated with carbonic acid gas; it is grateful to the 
stomach, and wholesome with the above restrictions. 
Effervescing draughts, formed by the addition of tar- 
taric acid to soda, potash, &c, may be used as medi- 
cines, but cannot be recommended as ordinary drinks. 
The preparations containing ginger, as ginger pop, 
and ginger beer, are still more objectionable, because 
the ginger heats and irritates the stomach, to say 
nothing of the alcohol generated by the process of 
fermentation. The fashion of drinking ale and porter,, 
so common in England, we believe has never ex- 
tended to the women of that beef-eating and beer- 
drinking nation ; and we trust that the custom will 
never be adopted in this country, either by men or 
women. Ah, what a dark catalogue it would be if all 
the diseases, crimes, and deaths, could be enumerated 
that have resulted from the custom of drinking wine,, 
beer, ale, &c, "to aid digestion!" And we regret 
that some of our most distinguished medical writers 
have been so far blinded by custom and education 
&$ to commend this soul-and-body-destroying practice*. 



MINERAL WATERS. 119 

Mineral Waters. 

Composition. — Mineral waters contain a great 
variety of ingredients, as iron, soda, potash, magnesia, 
sulphur, &c, &c. A preponderance of any one of 
these elements gives name to these waters, as chaly- 
beate waters where iron is a principal ingredient — 
sulphurous, or sulphur waters — carbonated, acidulous 
or acid waters, &c, &c. 

Not required by Well People. — How good 
Effects are lost in Disease. — Many mineral waters 
possess valuable medicinal properties, but it is all a mis- 
take to suppose that well people can be benefited by 
drinking them ; for the same rule still holds good — -for 
healthy people the purer the water the better. And it is 
unfortunately the case, that the good effects of mineral 
waters are often lost in disease, from want of adapta- 
tion to each individual case, and from the bad manner 
in which watering-places are generally managed, 
People seem to have an idea that a mineral spring is 
— a mineral spring ; or in other words, that mineral 
waters are pretty much alike, and that nature has 
given all a specific adaptation to every kind of case. 
A more erroneous idea could not well be conceived, 
unless it be the no less prevalent notion that the nos- 
trums published in newspapers, are appropriate to all 
the cases for which they are recommended. To 
derive any medicinal benefit from "a trip to the 
springs" the case should be adapted to the water, just as 
we would select a remedy for the disease from the drug 
store. 

Cases in which Chalybeates are appropriate. 



120 MINERAL WATERS. 

— If iron is a principal ingredient of water, this is, 
as a general rule, adapted to cases in which the 
medicinal use of iron would be indicated : this would 
include diseases of debility, as green-sickness, some 
forms of dyspepsia, some nervous disorders, and some 
kinds of dropsies. Chalybeates being specifically 
adapted to cases of debility, it follows that they are 
entirely out of place in the opposite class of inflamma- 
tory affections. And even diseases in which debility 
is a prominent symptom often present themselves 
under forms and circumstances that would forbid the 
use of iron. The practical deduction from these facts 
is : that invalids should not choose a watering-place 
for themselves, but should consult their physician. 

The above remarks may with equal propriety be 
applied to every kind of mineral water — each has 
some prominent element or elements, that gives to it 
a special adaptation to a certain limited class of dis- 
orders, while in an opposite class it would be useless 
or injurious. 

Health-destroying Customs at Yf atering-pla- 
ces. — But even in cases where mineral waters are 
appropriate, their good effects are often entirely 
counteracted by the ruinous customs of fashionable 
watering-places. How can an invalid reasonably 
expect to improve when the diet is improper in 
quality, excessive in quantity, and irregular in time — 
when hours which should be devoted to rest, are spent 
in close crowded rooms where everything is adverse 
to health — where the air is poisoned — where the food 
and drink are deadly, and where the mind is often a 
prey to a strife of passions that fret and torture the 



PURITY OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF WATER. 121 

poor body, like a frail bark lashed by an angry 
storm ? 

Mineral Waters beneficial. — Though the good 
effects of mineral waters are thus counteracted — 
though they are often prescribed by physicians in 
hopeless cases to amuse the minds of patients, and to 
relieve themselves, and of course fail ; yet we believe 
that medicinal springs and wells were not made with- 
out a purpose — that God mercifully designed them 
for the healing of our maladies, and that they would 
be much more efficacious, if the circumstances just- 
passed in review were regarded in resorting to them. 
It will be seen then that we stand opposed to the 
ultraists of these modern days, who would reject even 
their mothers' milk, if it were not adapted to their 
notions by a large admixture of water. 

Purity of different Kinds of Water. 

Minerals not injurious. — All water in percola- 
ting through the earth becomes more or less impreg- 
nated with various salts : a conclusive evidence this, 
that the " minerals" so much harped upon by modern 
reformers are not necessarily injurious to the ani- 
mal creation; for it is nothing less than a wicked 
imputation on the wisdom and goodness of the 
Almighty to say that he has mingled "poisons" with 
the water provided for his creatures. 

Purity of Kain- Water, &c. — JSam-water, it is 
known, is the product of evaporation from the earth, 
sea, &c. ; and as all earthy and mineral matters are 
left in deposit by the evaporating process, it follows 
that rain-water is the purest of all natural waters. 

11 



122 OF DIET. 

Spring and well water contain more or less earthy and 
saline matters, according to the nature of the soil ; but 
as before intimated, these elements are not injurious, 
except in certain localities where they are found in 
great excess, causing the water to be so hard that it 
will not mix readily with soap. This excess of lime, 
in limestone regions, is a common cause of gravel and 
stone. 

Modes of purifying Water. — Of the many modes 
of purification, only one is adapted to general use : this 
is filtration. By this process, water may be deprived 
of most of its impurities except those in actual solu- 
tion. Distillation is the most effectual mode of puri- 
fying water, but is too troublesome for general use ; 
and besides, distilled water is insipid, artificial, and 
not so well adapted to our wants and necessities, as 
Nature's own beverage mixed with " minerals" 



CHAPTER V. 

OF DIET. 

"In what thou eat'st and drinkest seek from thence 
Due nourishment, not gluttonous delight; 
So thou may'st live till, like ripe fruit, thou drop 
Into thy mother's lap, or be with ease 
GatherM, not harshly pluck'd, for death mature." 

Animal Diet — Use and Abuse. — There have been 
a few in every age of the world who have existed 
exclusively on the fruits of the earth ; and it is well 



OF DIET. 123 

known that some nltraists and pseudo-reformers u in 
these modern days" contend that man should live on 
vegetable diet alone. But arguments founded on the 
injurious effects resulting from the abuse of animal 
food, cannot be opposed to its proper use ; and the fact 
that vegetarians have preserved health, and attained 
long life, is far from being conclusive, when the advo- 
cates of a mixed diet can appeal to the same argument, 
with equal, if not greater confidence ; and above all, 
when the latter have the Bible, the anatomical struc- 
ture of man, and the great mass of human experience 
in all ages, on their side. And as this evidence has 
never been satisfactorily confuted, we feel justified in 
assuming that man is omnivorous, and that a due- 
admixture of animal and vegetable food is most 
suitable for his perfect development. 

In what our Errors consist. — The fact is, our 
dietetic errors consist, not so much in the quality of 
our food, as in its quantity — not so much in its actual 
nature, whether animal, vegetable, or mixed, as in its 
relative influence in connection with individual peculi- 
arities, habits, climate, modes of life, &c, &c. Instead, 
then, of generalizing as to the kind of food most 
suitable for the race, let us pursue the more reasonable 
and practical course of endeavoring to ascertain what 
is best relatively — what is best for each individual 
under the circumstances by which he may be sur- 
rounded. 

Diet for the Sedentary and Inactive. — Animal 
food may preponderate in the diet of those who lead 
an active laborious life, not only without injury, but 
with decided advantage ; for animal food is not only 



124 OF DIET. 

very nourishing and readily assimilated or changed 
into our bodies, but it is the more lasting and 
invigorating. On the other hand, animal food is not 
only useless, but often positively injurious to those 
who lead an inactive, sedentary life ; for the body is 
over-nourished, heated, and excited by such a diet, and 
the system is rendered prone to inflammation, while 
the pores of the skin, and other safety-valves of the 
human machine, being closed up for want of exercise, 
3, fatal explosion is often the result. How destructive 
must it be, then, for literary persons, and for women, 
who are generally much confined either from necessity, 
or through the customs of society, to indulge in meat 
three times a day! Such persons should eat very 
sparingly, if at all, of meat, and particularly of "hog- 
meat," which is certainly the most stimulating of all 
the articles of its class. Indeed, it would be better, 
-as a general rule, for people who do not lead an active 
life, to refrain entirely from meat of ail kinds. 

Beauty, Health, and Mind lost. — Yf omen, who 
consume too much gross food and take too little exer- 
cise, are liable to indigestion with all its horrors of 
mind and body, and to a host of other maladies which 
we cannot even enumerate : the skin becomes thick, 
harsh, pimpled, and ^discolored — the breathing is 
tainted, sometimes contracting a nameless and most 
offensive odor — the features are swollen, dull, inex- 
pressive, and sometimes almost idiotic. Thus is lost 
*"the smoothness and the sheen of beauty's cheek;" 
thus the sunlight of the immortal mind is clouded, 
and all the nameless charms of expression obscured. 

Vinegar and Grossness,— A better Way. — 



OF DIET. 12S 

Under the above circumstances, an attempt is some- 
times made to restore the beauty of the complexion, 
and prevent excessive fatness, by the use of vinegar 
and other acids. The remedy may be successful, but 
success will most surely be attained at the expense 
of health; for acids can only accomplish the end- 
designed, by interfering with the digestive and assimi- 
lative processes. The only safe and effectual remedies 
for grossness and pimples, are pure wholesome food 
in moderate quantities, and mostly vegetable; pure 
air ; sufficient exercise, and frequent ablutions. These 
are the only cosmetics that should be resorted to, and 
they are the true elixirs of life and beauty. These 
agents are more effectual in the preservation of health 
and beauty than all the drugs, vegetable or mineral 
in the whole long list. 

Individual Peculiarities as to Diet. — These 
peculiarities should be taken into consideratien in the 
selection of our food ; and they are either original or 
acquired. Persons may be weakly and puny from; 
birth ; and their digestive organs may so far partake 
of the general debility as to digest vegetable food 
with difficulty; for, as it has been seen, animal food, 
is, as a general rule, more readily digested and con- 
verted into our tissues than vegetable food, because 
the former contains the elements of our bodies ready ,. 
formed. Under these circumstances, all other thinga 
being equal as to exercise, habits of life, &c, more^ 
animal food might be beneficially used than would be - 
proper under different circumstances. But great 
judgment should be exercised in these cases; and 
whenever it is deemed necessary to increase the pro- 

11* 



126 OF DIET. 

portion of animal food, strict attention, at tlie same 
time, should be given to pure air, regular exercise, &c. 
This course has a double advantage — it tends, as Ave 
have just seen, to counteract the injury that might 
result from an excess of animal diet, and it directly 
and most effectually aids in building up and invigora- 
ting the whole system. It would be well for mothers 
who have feeble scrofulous children, to remember 
these things. 

Acquired Peculiarities. — In adapting our food 
to our acquired peculiarities, even more caution is 
necessary ; for these peculiarities are often nothing 
more nor less than diseases caused by errors in diet— 
by those very hinds of food that seem to be necessary on 
account of the diseased condition. For instance, one 
may use a concentrated animal diet, small in bulk, but 
highly nutritive and exciting to the system ; and if 
this over- excitement is combined with a sedentary 
life, apoplexy will in all probability ensue, or dys- 
pepsia from contraction or diminished size of the 
stomach. Now, this state of things would require a 
more bulky and less stimulating diet ; but then the 
walls of the stomach have become permanently con- 
tracted from want of bulk in the food previously used, 
and consequently a bulky vegetable diet — the very one 
demanded— painfully distends the stomach, and cannot 
be borne. Under these circumstances, we are very 
apt to come to the conclusion that animal food is best 
for us, when it is really the cause of all our difficulties. 
The course in these cases is to make the change from 
an animal to a vegetable diet gradually, increasing 
the bulk of our food by degrees, as the stomach may 
be able to bear it 



OF DIET. 127 

Other Cases in illustration. — This subject is so 
important, that we may be excused for illustrating it 
by other habits connected more particularly with our 
eating and drinking. A lady is troubled with "ner- 
vousness" and headache: this is a "peculiarity" of 
hers requiring the use of strong coffee and tea, which 
give relief. And yet this is an acquired peculiarity 
caused by this same tea and coffee. The headache 
and nervousness are the result of a kind of collapse 
or giving way caused by the withdrawal of an 
accustomed stimulant ; and thus the unfortunate victim 
of a pernicious habit is never "right," except when 
under an unnatural and unhealthful excitement. The 
analogy between this state and that of the poor drunk- 
ard is obvious and complete, the only difference being 
in the degree, and not in the kind of excitement. 

Another Case. — Wind-Colic and Stimulants. — 
Another lady is troubled with dyspepsia and flatu- 
lency, or wind-colic; she cannot digest her food 
without the use of pungent stimulants and seasonings 
euch as spices mustard, pepper, &c, &c. And yet, in 
all probability, the loss of tone in the stomach, which 
requires a resort to these excitants to rouse it to action, 
has been occasioned by the excessive use of condi- 
ments ; for the ultimate effect of these is debility and 
weakness of the stomach, following from over-excite- 
ment. 

An important Lesson. — These examples, which 
might be multiplied, should teach us the following 
highly useful lessons : 1st. That our acquired peculi- 
arities should be very closely watched, and that we 
should not be misled by an apparent necessity, into 



128 OF DIET. 

a continuance in the habits that have caused those 
peculiarities, when those very habits are destroying 
us. And 2d. That .changes should be made under 
such circumstances, not suddenly, but gradually. 

Climate and Fat Bacon.— Climate is another 
circumstance that should influence in the relative 
amount of animal and vegetable food. It has been 
seen that animal diet is more stimulating and exciting 
than vegetable: hence, the inhabitants of tropical 
countries instinctively seek for vegetables, and their 
diet consists mostly of rice, potatoes, and the various 
fruits of the earth. But in civilized life, our tastes 
are so perverted by habit and education that these 
instinctive monitions are disregarded. These remarks 
apply more particularly to our Southern States, for 
there is no doubt that the extravagant use of fat bacon 
and pork is a most fruitful source of disease in our 
warm climate. These are the staple articles of food 
for men, women, and children, — for the active and 
sedentary, the delicate and the robust; and when 
it is remembered that this is a positive violation of 
the laws that govern our being, and that all swine 
flesh is more heavy and indigestible than any other, 
we cannot be surprised at the extensive prevalence of 
fevers, u liver complaints," dyspepsias, " bowel com- 
plaints," blotches, tetters, salt rheums, and various 
other disagreeable and dangerous skin diseases, sore 
eyes, &c. 

Elementary Nature of Foods. — " Minerals." — 
Of the various chemical elements considered essential 
ingredients of our bodies, many are minerals, as iron, 
sodium, calcium, magnesium, potassium, &c, &c. And 



OF DIET. 129 

as these elements are found in greater or less quantity 
in the different articles of food, as well as in our 
drinks,, we have another conclusive evidence that 
"mineral medicines" are not necessarily injurious to 
the human system. We are free to admit that this 
class of remedies (and the same might be said of all 
others) has been greatly abused, but their occasional 
and judicious use is in strict accordance with the 
teachings of infallible Nature, sustained by the incon- 
trovertible evidence of accumulated experience, what- 
ever would-be reformers may say to the contrary. 

Variety and Bulk necessary. — Dieting. — It is 
worthy of remark that no one of what are called 
elementary principles of food, such as gum, sugar, fat, 
starch, &c, will sustain life for any great while. And 
though our errors generally consist in too great 
variety, the above fact should be borne in mind ; for 
want of sufficient variety is doubtless a source of 
disease in some cases, and especially in delicate per- 
sons who are "dieting" themselves. With many 
people " dieting" means starvation, or living for weeks 
and months on a single article of food. This is all 
wrong : dieting, strictly and properly, is to adapt the 
food in quantity, quality, and variety, to the wants 
of the system, under the particular circumstances of 
each case : and though the allowance is generally 
shortened in this day of over-eating, dieting does not 
necessarily include the idea of broths made of diluted 
nothings, administered in homoeopathic doses. Be- 
sides variety in our food, bulk is necessary, in order 
to expand the stomach and bowels, to prevent undue 

contraction, and to excite those muscular movements 
I 



jt30 NUTRITIVENESS AND DIGESTIBILITY- 

that are necessary to digestion, and to the expulsion 
of the contents of the bowels. We will recur to this 
subject again. 

Nutritiveness and Digestibility of Foods. 

Difference between the two. — These things are 
liable to be confounded, but they are entirely dis- 
tinct. A substance may be very nutritive, and yet 
very difficult of digestion, and on the other hand it 
may be easy of digestion, and yet may afford but little 
nourishment. The nutritiveness of an article of food 
is measured by the amount of material it may furnish 
for building up the body. The digestibility of food is 
determined by the facility with which it is dissolved 
and changed by the stomach, &c. 

Firmness and Density necessary to Digestion. 
— We have just seen that a certain bulkinessis neces- 
sary to digestion : a certain degree of firmness and 
density are equally important. If our food be too 
dense and close in its texture, the process of digestion 
will be retarded ; and the same difficulty will occur 
if our food be too soft and fluid. In the first case, the 
action of the gastric juice will be resisted ; and in the 
second, the stomach cannot grasp the food, and turn 
it about sufficiently. This will teach us, that fluids 
and slops are not always best for weak stomachs ; a 
fact that many have verified by personal experience. 

Animal Foods, Milk, Butter, Cheese. — Of ani- 
mal foods, milk, the fluid furnished by nature for our 
nourishment in early life, merits the first attention. 
Milk consists of cream, curd, and whey. The cream is 
a compound consisting principally of butter and cheese. 



* 



NUTRITIVENBSS AND DIGESTIBILITY. 131 

When milk sours it separates into whey and curd. 
This whey contains various "minerals," as potash, 
lime, and iron. And thus do we drink in these 
"poisons" with our mothers' milk. It will be seen 
from this brief notice of the composition of milk, that 
it is a highly compound nourishment. In this we 
find an illustration of the truth, that no single ele- 
ment of food will support life ; for in milk is provided 
water to distend the stomach, dilute, wash out, 
nourish, &c, butter and oil for heat, and lime and 
other minerals for making the bones solid, and for 
other purposes. Albumen, one of the nutritive 
elements of milk, rises to the surface in the form of a 
thin scum on boiling : this may be skimmed off, and 
the milk may thus be made more digestible for weak 
stomachs, but at the same time it will be less nourish- 
ing. Therefore milk should not be boiled and 
skimmed, where a very nourishing diet is required. 
Milk, without any preparation, is very digestible and 
easily converted into our bodies ; and it does not cause 
that heat and excitement that generally arise from 
the use of other kinds of animal food. Being- 
composed largely of water, this is readily absorbed 
by the stomach, and as the solid portions only are 
digested, a large quantity of milk really imposes less 
labor on the stomach, than an equal quantity of any 
other food. Very soon after milk is swallowed it is 
curdled by the action of the stomach, and as the act 
of vomiting is very easy in children, any excess of 
curd that might oppress the stomach is readily thrown 
off. Milk varies somewhat in different animals ; that 
of the goat and ass, approaching human milk more 



132 NUTRITIVENESS AND DIGESTIBILITY. 

nearly than the milk of any other animal. Butter 
and cheese, though they are generally easily managed 
by the stomach, as they exist in combination with 
milk, are yet rather hard of digestion when in a 
separate state. Old cheese is highly indigestible, and 
should never be eaten by any one. Butter is not so 
objectionable, but its oily nature makes it a bad thing 
for weak stomachs, all oils being digested with great 
difficulty. 

Vomiting in Children. — Before dismissing the 
subject of milk, it may be well to add that the vomit- 
ing of curd, so common in children, is no evidence of 
disease, but rather an evidence of health ; curdling of 
the milk being the natural effect of the gastric juice. 
But while the vomiting of curd is no symptom of 
actual disease, it is an evidence of injurious over- 
loading of the stomach, which is quite a common 
error ; and did not Nature relieve herself by vomiting, 
many more children would be sacrificed than there 
are. 

Eggs — Fish — Birds. — Next to milk in nutritive 
ness and digestibility may be placed eggs. But 
perhaps nothing is more influenced by the mode of 
cooking. Soft-boiled eggs are digestible, but hard 
eggs are almost as difficult for the stomach to manage 
as sole-leather ; and no one who has any compassion 
on this useful organ will impose on it the task of 
digesting a hard egg. Fish is considered to be less 
nutritive than mutton or beef, but it is sufficiently so, 
while it is not difficult of digestion, and is destitute 
of the stimulating effects of other kinds of animal 
food. These properties render fish a highly valuable 



NUTRITIVENESS AND DIGESTIBILITY. 133 

article of diet in many cases. Of the different kinds 
of fishes, those that are whitest and least oily are the 
most wholesome and digestible. Among the numerous 
species of the fish tribe, we can only mention the 
white shad, which runs up our waters every spring. 
They are wholesome in moderation, and one of the 
greatest luxuries that we of the South enjoy. Shell- 
fish are generally highly indigestible. Oysters are 
tolerably nutritious, and not very difficult of digestion 
when eaten raw, but cooking renders them less diges- 
tible. Oysters are generally gulped down whole, with 
pepper and other stimulants ; all of which is highly 
objectionable. Many of the shell-fish tribe are poison- 
ous at certain times, and it has been supposed that 
this is the case with oysters, which are certainly the 
best of their family. The flesh of birds differs great- 
ly as to nutritiveness and digestibility. According to 
Dr. Paris, "the whiter meat of domesticated birds, as 
the wings and breasts of chickens, contains less nutri- 
ment, and is less digestible than that which is furnished 
by wild birds, as the partridge, &c. ; but the former 
is, at the same time, less stimulant and heating than 
the latter." 

Beef, Mutton, &c. — Beef, mutton, and most of 
the vegetable-eating tribe, are healthy for food when 
not monstrously fat. But in the use of all kinds of 
animal food, all the relative circumstances as to 
exercise, habits of life, climate, &c, should never be 
forgotten ; and we repeat the opinion that persons 
who do not lead an active life, had better touch all 
animal food very lightly ; and that most people who 
do not exercise a good deal would be better off if 
they would abstain entirely. 
12 



184 COOKING MEATS. 

Cooking Meats, 

The best Mode. — All meat should be cooked 
done, but not more; meat moderately cooked is pre- 
ferable to that which, is over-done. Broiling is the 
best of all modes of cooking meats of all kinds. 
Boiled meat is generally digestible, but it loses much 
of its nutritiveness by the solvent action of the water. 
But as one of the elements partially abstracted by the 
water is fat, which is so difficult of digestion, and of 
which we generally take such an excessive quantity 
in this meat-eating country, we lose nothing, in this 
way, by boiling. 

The wokst Mode. — Fkying in the South. — 
Frying, in cookery, occupies the place of hog-meat in 
dietetics : it is the most abominable of all modes ; and 
perhaps this is the reason why it is most common ; 
for it does seem that our tastes have become' so per- 
verted that we are most likely to fall on the very 
things most injurious to health. In the Southern 
States, frying is oftener resorted to than any other 
mode of cooking. If Southerners cannot manage to 
take in a sufficient quantity of grease, in the form of 
fat bacon and pork, to sustain them, and keep up the 
heat in their rigorous climate, they 'are sure to supply 
any deficiency by saturating their peas, beans, pota- 
toes, bread, and everything else, in that most desirable 
of all things — hog's-lard. Hence, we have fried vege- 
tables of all kinds, fried meats almost invariably, fried 
bread and hominy not unfrequently, and fried every- 
thing, so long as the ample supply of essence of hog 
holds out. Why, in the South, hog's-lard is the oil 



VEGETABLE FOOD. 135 

that greases the wheels of life and keeps them in 
motion ; and people would no more think of doing 
without it, than they would of doing without coffee, 
or tobacco, or any other indispensable. 

Roasting — Baking. — Roasting is not so good as 
boiling meat ; for though more nutriment is retained, 
the meat is less digestible. Baking, in which the 
greater part of the oil is retained, renders meat difficult 
of digestion, but from the retention of the various 
elements it is highly nutritious. 

Vegetable Food. 

Wheat. — Light-Bread. — The vegetable kingdom 
furnishes an almost endless variety of highly nutri- 
tious and wholesome aliments. First on the list stand 
the farinaceous grains — wheat, corn, rye, &c, &c. 

Wheat contains starch, albumen, gluten, sugar, oil, 
water, a husky matter covering the grain, and several 
less important elements. It will be seen from this 
enumeration that it must be highly nutritious, and as 
all the grains belonging to this family possess similar 
properties, bread may well be called the " staff of life." 

Gluten is a tenacious substance, most abundant in 
wheat, and it is this that causes bread to rise. The 
gluten acts by entangling the carbonic acid gas gener- 
ated by fermentation; and a due proportion of this 
gluten is indispensable in making light-bread : if there 
is not enough to prevent the escape of the gas the 
bread will not rise. 

How Acids and Alkalis act. — Heretofore, yeast 
has been used in making light-bread, but of late years 
this has been supplanted, to a considerable extent, by . 



136 VEGETABLE FOOD. 

a combination of acids and alkalis, as bicarbonate of 
soda and cream of tartar, soda and vinegar, soda and 
butter-milk, soda and hydrochloric acid, or " spirit of 
salt." The principle on which these things act is 
the same, but the product is different in each case. 
In each of these combinations, carbonic acid gas is 
disengaged as in the yeast fermentation ; but at the 
same time, a new compound is formed. When bicar- 
bonate of soda and cream of tartar are united, the 
acid in the cream of tartar combines with the soda, 
setting carbonic acid gas free, and forming a tartrate 
of potash and soda; or a purgative salt commonly 
known as "Rochelle Salts," one of the ingredients of 
Seidlitz powders. When soda and vinegar are united, 
an acetate of soda is formed: soda and buttermilk 
form a lactate ; and the combination of hydrochloric 
acid and soda results in the formation of table salt. 
These chemical details are given because the above 
acids and alkalis are extensively used, and ignorance 
of the simple principle on which they act, spoils a 
great quantity of bread. It is not unfrequently the 
case that soda or saleratus is used without any acid, 
and the consequence is, the bread does not rise well, 
and is yellow, with a very disagreeable smell like lye. 
Are they wholesome ? — The salts formed by the 
chemical changes mentioned, may all be properly 
placed in the list of medicines, unless the "common 
salt" be an exception. And though these medicines 
are of the most mild and innocent class, it is very 
doubtful whether they can be taken daily, even in 
small quantity, without more or less disturbance of 
the systeir. They act on the kidneys or bowels, or 



VEGETABLE FOOD. 137 

both ; and though the effect may be slight, it is artifi- 
cial, unnatural, and it is highly probable that its long 
continuance would result in disease of those organs. 
These are the difficulties that present themselves when 
everything is duly proportioned, and a neutral salt, 
with no excess either of acid or alkali, is formed. 
But when the soda is in excess, as is often the case, it 
accumulates in the system, and is an undoubted source 
of disease. Of the different compounds mentioned 
above, the least objectionable are hydrochloric acid 
and soda, and buttermilk and soda. If the hydro- 
chloric acid and soda be united in such proportions as 
exactly to neutralize each other, " common salt" will 
be the result, which is certainly a healthful article, in 
moderation. But two great difficulties present them- 
selves in using these articles : — Hydrochloric acid is a 
corrosive and dangerous poison, when not neutralized 
by an alkali. It becomes, then, a serious question 
whether so active an agent should be intrusted to an 
ignorant cook. But, admitting that this danger may 
be avoided by proper care, another, no less formidable, 
arises : in the preparation of the acid itself — in the 
process of manufacture, it is liable to become impreg- 
nated with hurtful and even poisonous ingredients, 
that no care could remove or guard against. Butter- 
milk and soda are not liable to these objections, but 
as the strength of the acid is very variable, it is diffi- 
cult, and often impossible, so to proportion it as to 
neutralize the soda exactly. In view of all these 
facts, it is highly probable that the modern innova- 
tions in light-bread making have sacrificed health to 
convenience. 

12* 



138 vegetable food. 

Fermented Bread. — Unleavened Bread most 
wholesome. — Fermented or yeast bread is doubtless 
the most wholesome of the light-breads ; but then the 
fermenting process is slow and uncertain, and it 
requires a tact and management that comparatively- 
few cooks possess ; for if the fermentation is stopped 
too soon ; the bread is heavy and unfit to eat ; and if 
it is too long continued, some of the most nutritious 
elements are destroyed, and the bread becomes sour 
from the generation of acetic acid, or vinegar. This 
is often the case with bakers' bread, which, though 
very white and light, is the most inferior of all flour 
bread. This bread is also often adulterated with alum 
and other bleaching preparations, intended to whiten 
poor flour. The fact is, unleavened bread is more 
wholesome than any kind of fermented or raised 
bread, and we would therefore advise all who value 
health, and who would avoid the trouble, inconveni- 
ence, and dangers of light-bread making, to return to 
the primitive simplicity of nature, and to use unbolted, 
unraised, and unfermented bread. 

Fine Flour. — Use of Wheat Husks. — Wheat in 
its natural state before it passes through the bolting 
cloth, consists largely of a husky substance enclosing 
the grain ; and this, by its mechanical action or fric- 
tion against the inside of the bowels, is the very best 
of all bowel regulators, or "peristaltic persuaders." 

Dr. Warren, of Boston, after an experience of forty 
years, if we mistake not, unhesitatingly pronounced 
cracked wheat to be the safest and best of all. reme- 
dies for habitual constipation, or torpid bowels. The* 
same thing is true to a considerable extent of unbolted 



VEGETABLE FOOD. 139 

flour, as is proved by the concurrent testimony of a 
great many physicians of ample experience. Fine 
flour is highly constipating to the bowels, and should 
not be used as food, except in cases of irritation of 
the bowels, where it may be desirable to check exces- 
sive discharges. There can be no doubt that the 
introduction of Dutch bolting-cloths was one of the 
greatest curses ever inflicted on the civilized world. 

Eeceipt for making Bread. — We trust that what 
has been said will induce some, at least, of our read- 
ers to abandon the use of fine flour; but for those 
who will persist in using it, we give a recipe from a 
little work lately issued by William Hunt, of Boston. 
We have never tried the receipt, but it is highly 
recommended; and we are certain that fine flour 
could not possibly be prepared in a more wholesome 
manner. 

"Mix good fine flour with pure cold water, and 
make a dough that can be rolled out and cut into 
strips, which must again be rolled into a round form, 
the size of the thumb or finger, and cut into pieces, 
three or four inches long ; bake in a hot oven, ten or 
fifteen minutes ; brown them nicely and serve fresh." 
This bread is no doubt "pure and sweet;" and if it 
were made of unbolted flour, we could not possibly 
see any objection to it, unless it might be rather hard 
and tough, for the teeth of " modern society." 

Hot and Cold Bread. — Decayed Teeth. — Cold 
bread is best as a general rule, but it sometimes 
becomes close and clammy when cold. There can be 
no doubt that the common practice of eating hot 
bread, and swallowing hot drinks, is injurious to the 



140 VEGETABLE FOOD. 

stomach, and destructive to the teeth. There must 
be something radically wrong in our habits, to cause 
our teeth to decay so early ; for certainly it was in- 
tended that these beautiful and useful instruments 
should last as long as other parts of the body. We 
know of no cause more likely to produce decayed 
teeth, than the expansive action of heat on the enamel. 
Ladies who would preserve health and beauty, and 
who would escape the horrors of tooth-ache, would 
do well to remember this. Another cause of decayed 
teeth is general ill health and constitutional debility ; 
but perhaps the most common of all direct causes, is to 
be found in the corrosive action of drugs, which are 
consumed to such an enormous extent in this country. 
In sickness the teeth should be particularly attended 
to : the mouth should be well washed, after swallow- 
ing medicine of any kind, and the teeth and mouth 
both should be washed at least once a day, whether 
medicine be taken or not. This will remove the acrid 
secretions that gather about the mouth and teeth in 
sickness, and will be protective to the teeth, and 
pleasant to the patient. 

Cakes. — Dumplings. — Cakes made of butter, eggs, 
&c, are generally unwholesome. Q-inger-cake, when 
made with very little ginger, is more wholesome than 
most of its class. Dumplings, made of fine flour 
rolled and cut, are a great dish at the South. They 
are served up with stewed chicken, chicken and meat 
pies, &c, &c. As to digestibility, they might be 
classed with raw hide, and they are enough to ruin 
any stomach. 

Corn Bread. — Hominy. — Dyspepsia, A;c. — Indian 



VEGETABLE FOOD. 141 

corn is used more extensively than wheat even. It is 
far preferable to^fine flour, and is the most nutritious 
and healthful of all our "bread-stuffs." It is fre- 
quently injured by grinding too fine : the meal should 
be moderately coarse and round. Such meal as this, 
mixed up with cold water, either with or without salt. 
makes a delicious bread which is good either warm 
or cold. Corn meal, being deficient in gluten, will not 
rise. One of the best and most wholesome forms of 
corn bread is the " ash- cake," a common dish with 
Southern negroes. It is prepared simply by wetting 
up the meal with cold water ; it is then put down on 
the hot hearth, and covered immediately with hot 
ashes. When taken out of the ashes, it is washed in 
cold water ; and, whatever the fastidious may think 
of it, there never was a better bread in every respect 
than this plain ash-cake. Many times, in our boyish 
days, have we left the fine flour dainties of the " white 
folks" to beg a piece of ash-cake from the "niggers." 
Hominy, large and small, is a most excellent prepara- 
tion of Indian corn. Small hominy or "grits" is made 
by coarsely grinding the corn. Large or ley hominy, 
when properly prepared, is a most palatable and 
wholesome dish. If all the ley is not washed off, it is 
one of the very best diets in cases of dyspepsia 
attended with heart-burn or sour stomach. The only 
drawback to the extensive use of this most nutritious, 
healthful, and economical food, is the trouble of pre- 
paring it, and its liability to sour in warm weather. 
Some excellent and wholesome puddings are made of 
corn meal, but we cannot stop to describe them. Corn 
meal mush is a superior article for delicate persons 



142 VEGETABLE FOOD. 

and convalescents. It is generally taken with milk, 
and should be put into the milk quite hot. 

r ice — Best Mode of Cooking. — In Bowel Af- 
fections. — Next to wheat and corn, rice is the most 
extensively used and wholesome article of its class. 
It is very nutritious, mild, and unstimulating ; but in 
consequence of the absence of any considerable quan- 
tity of husks, it is too concentrated and "binding," 
unless other coarser food be mixed with it. But this 
very thing makes it the most useful of all articles of 
diet in cases of irritation and "looseness" of the 
bowels. Indeed, there are few of the simpler cases of 
diarrhoea that will not yield to rest, a flannel bandage 
around the belly, and a rice diet. Remember this 
when you or your children get sick. Boiling, com- 
bined with steaming, is the best of all modes of cook- 
ing rice. It should be boiled in water with a little 
salt in it ; and when it is nearly done, it should be 
allowed to stand and steam in a covered vessel, until 
the grains are sufficiently dry to stand somewhat 
apart. It may also be boiled with milk, but as a 
general rule, the "Carolina mode" first given is best. 

Peas — Beans — Roots — "Bacon and Collakds." 
— Peas, beans, and oily nuts resemble the "bread- 
stuffs" in their composition : they are nutritive, but 
more difficult of digestion than the grains, on account 
of the greater quantity of oil they contain. Among 
the esculent roots, the potato merits the first attention. 
It is highly nutritious, and generally digestible ; but, 
like other articles of this class, it is apt to produce 
flatulence ; this, however, is not likely to prove serious, 
except in persons of weak digestive organs. Potatoes 



VEGETABLE FOOD, 143 

are considered to be most wholesome when boiled, but 
baking is a very good mode of cooking them ; and 
perhaps there is none better than roasting in the ashes. 
Turnips, parsnips, beets, &c, are wholesome, with the 
exception above mentioned; and beets and carrots 
are quite nourishing, on account of the large quantity 
of sugar they contain. Radishes may be placed in 
this class, but should never be eaten either as food or 
condiment : they are too acrid and irritating for any 
stomach not lined with copper ; and we agree fully 
with Mr. Peabody, a distinguished Southern horticul- 
tural writer, that radishes should always be sown " in 
the fire." Among the esculent herbs, cabbage and 
collards are staple articles of diet with many people, 
particularly at the South. This kind of "greens" i: 
moderately nutritious, and, when well boiled, healthy ; 
but the immense amount of grease consumed with the 
greens, can but render them very indigestible. And 
unless some better mode of cooking than boiling with 
fat bacon can be invented, no one except the stoutest 
laborers should make " greens" an every-day diet. 
And yet many delicate and sedentary women in the 
Southern and Western States live almost exclusively 
on fat bacon and collards ! Lettuce should be placed 
among the medicines, on account of its narcotic pro- 
perties. Cucumbers consist mostly of water, and are 
of little value as nutriments ; yet for healthy stomachs 
we see nothing very objectionable about them. The 
best mode of cooking the above esculents is boiling, 
as this tends to prevent the flatulency they are likely 
to occasion. As a general rule, the less grease with 
them the better, and especially hog-grease. 



144 VEGETABLE FOOD. 

Fruits. — How eaten. — The fruit kingdom affords 
an almost endless supply of delicious and wholesome 
food. But as articles of this class are generally taken, 
they may, more properly, be considered as dangerous 
luxuries, than as healthful food — as a curse rather 
than a blessing. Dr. Paris says : " Were we to form 
our opinion of their value, from their abuse, we 
should certainly be rather disposed to class them 
under the head of poisons than of aliments." The 
great error in the use of fruits, consists in making 
them a dessert — in crowding the stomach with them, 
when it is already full; and in eating them at all 
times, between meals, when there is no natural 
demand or desire for them. Fruits, when taken along 
with our food, as food, and in moderation, are highly 
conducive to health, and as the writer just quoted 
appropriately remarks, they " appear to be providen- 
tially sent at a season, when the body requires that 
cooling and antiseptic aliment, which they are so 
well calculated to afford." 

Stone Fruits. — Apples, &c. — Of the stone fruits, 
the peach is most delicious and digestible. Indeed, 
we know of nothing more desirable or healthful, 
among all the gifts of God, than good, fresh, ripe 
peaches. They should form part of either meal, or 
be eaten, in moderation, when the stomach is empty. 
The same remarks apply equally to apricots. Plums 
are less digestible than peaches, on account of their 
pulp; and all pulpy stone fruits are more or less 
indigestible, and prone to ferment in the stomach. 
The apple is one of the best of fruits. Baked 
apples will generally agree with the most delicate 



VEGETABLE FOOD. M5 

Stomachs, and are ^xeellent in sickness. Green or 
half-rine apples stewed and sweetened, are pleasant to 
the taste, nourishing, cooling, and loosening, Pears 
are also good. Oranges are very acceptable to most 
stomachs, but the skin covering the pulp should be 
rejected; and the same may be said of all skinned 
fruits. 

Melons.— Action on Kidneys.— The earth pro- 
duces nothing more delicious and wholesome, than 
our water-melons. We have not unfrequently allowed 
them to fever patients, not only without injury, but 
apparently with advantage, They act powerfully on 
the kidneys, and are certainly the most agreeable, if 
not the best of all kidney-exciters. Dr. Hall says : 
(Jour. Health)— "as to water-melons, they are the 
only things we know which can be eaten with 
impunity until we cannot swallow any more." This 
corresponds with our observation, jet this should not 
be considered a sufficient license for extravagant and 
unnatural indulgence. Be temperate in all things. 

EULES GENERAL. — HOW TO MANAGE THE STOMACH. 

—In concluding these remarks on the nutritiveness 
and digestibility of some of the leading articles of 
food, it is proper to add that what has been said must 
be taken generally — that there are many individual 
exceptions, and that what is easily digested as a 
general thing, may act like poison to some persons 
under certain peculiar conditions. But in selecting 
our diet, it should never be forgotten that our artifi- 
cial tastes and conditions are not always a safe guide, 
and that- the very thing at which the stomach at first 
J ' 13 



146 CONDIMENTS. 

rebels, is sometimes best for us. In this case the diffi- 
culty is in the morbid condition of the stomachy and not 
in the food, and the rebellious organ should be coaxed 
into a gradual change of its bad habits. Prudence 
and perseverance are here necessary : when a change 
is required it should be made by degrees, until the 
misguided stomach learns what is best for it. 

Condiments. 

What they are. — Condiments or " seasonings 1 * are 
Ihose articles that possess no nutritious properties; 
. but in combination with our food, the} r heighten its 
flavor, and in some cases promote its digestibility and 
correct some of its deleterious properties. But while 
this is true, it is very doubtful whether a healthy sto- 
mach, supplied with the proper kind and quantity of 
food, stands much in need of condiments to assist it 
in any way whatever. And it is certain that the 
extensive use of articles of this class in modern cook- 
ery, is an evil of enormous magnitude. 

Salt — How it acts. — Salt Bacox. — Common salt 
is the most extensively used and the most wholesome 
of all condiments. It acts as a gentle stimulant and 
antiseptic, and in moderation is doubtless conducive 
to health ; but we cannot agree with those writers who 
contend that a " free use of salt 11 is absolutely neces- 
sary to animal existence. And it is still harder for 
us to believe that our artificial craving for highly 
salted food is an evidence of the natural wants of the 
animal economy. Salt acts as an anthelmintic or 
worm -destroyer, but no one would be willing to pickle 



CONDIMENTS. 



14T 



the body and dry up its fluids to kill worms. Allusion 
has already been made to the injurious effects of fat 
bacon, and there can be no doubt that lean bacon, 
combined with an excess of salt, is almost, if not quite, 
as prejudicial to health. Salt prevents decomposition, 
or "saves meat" by abstracting the blood, and by 
combining with the animal fibre or muscle. And just 
in proportion to this abstraction of the fluids, and 
combination with the muscular fibre, does the salt 
render meat less nutritious and digestible. Dr. Dun- 
glison says such " a combination of flesh and salt is 
very indigestible, and unfit for the dyspeptic." Now, 
if a small quantity will generally disagree with a 
dyspeptic, is it not highly probable that the extrava- 
gant amount consumed by many people Specially in 
the South and West) will finally wear out the strongest 
stomach ? Our opinion is that this compound of salt 
and dried flesh should be used very sparingly by all, 
and especially by delicate women. 

Vinegar axd Aromatics, &c. — Vinegar prevents 
the fermentation of certain substances, and particularly 
of vegetables, thus preventing flatulence. In small 
quantities, it is grateful and wholesome ; but it should 
be used cautiously, like everything else of its class. 
The aromatic condiments are very numerous. They 
comprise the different kinds of peppers, cinnamon, 
nutmeg, cloves, ginger, thyme, sage, garlic, &c, &c. 
All these, and many more, such as pickles and dried 
salt herrings, enter largely into the food of civilized 
life ; and they are all, more or less, injurious. They 
all stimulate the stomach unduly, create an unnatural 



148 TIMES OF EATING. 

appetite, which leads to excessive indulgence, and; 
finally palsy the taste and destroy the tone of the 
stomach. Many of them are acrid irritants, suffi- 
ciently so to inflame the stomach and cause immediate 
death, did not Nature protect herself by pouring out 
an abundant mucous secretion to blunt the acrimony 
of these offensive and unnatural invaders of the vital 
domain. All the oily condiments are difficult of diges- 
tion ; and melted butter, in the form of sauce to dump- 
lings, pastries, and other indigestible dishes, is abso- 
lutely ruinous to any stomach. 

A ElTLE FOR THE CONDIMENTS. — TlIE BEST SAUCE. 

— Finally, we conclude by remarking that the un- 
natural and injurious indulgence in condiments, and 
especially the acrids, as mustard, pepper, &c, should 
be abandoned by all who value health and long life. 
Salt and vinegar, in small quantities, are admissible; 
but the safest and best general rule, in reference to 
the whole class of condiments, may be thus expressed — 
tJie less, the better. And this rule should be regarded 
in spite of the cravings of an artificial taste, or the 
rebellious movings of a miscducatcd stomach. Firm- 
ness and perseverance will overcome these temporary 
difficulties; and then will we find that our food is 
sweet and palatable without any stimulating and 
health-destroying seasonings — then will our taste be 
delicate and discriminating — and then will we be pre- 
pared to relish that most pleasant and healthful of all 
sauces — a real natural appetite. 

Times of Eating.— All the acts of our bodies, 
voluntary and involuntary, ore greatly under the in- 



BREAKFAST AND FLUIDS. 149 

fluence of habit. Hence it is desirable to have certain 
regular hours for eating, so that the stomach may be 
aided in its important duties, both by the stimulus of 
the food, and the periodical habit. The proper time 
for eating is when the previous meal has passed 
through all the stages of digestion, and entered into 
the circulation ; and when, after an interval of rest, 
•the wants of the system are indicated by a natural 
desire for food. If our habits are right, this will be 
a safe and unerring guide, and healthy people should 
never eat unless they have this natural prompting. 
A natural appetite will, as a general rule, recur about 
every six hours ; but it is much influenced by the 
nature of our diet, the state of the mind, the amount 
of exercise, &c. Three meals a day, then, at intervals 
of six hours, may be taken as a general rule ; and if 
the habits are as the)' should be, the machinery of life 
will work harmoniously by this rule. But should the 
appetite fail, wait for it; for there is always more 
danger of making the intervals between the meals too 
short than too long. 

Breakfast and Fluids. — A bad Breath. — Break- 
fast may be a substantial repast ; and more fluids are 
allowable at this meal, on account of the waste sus- 
tained by perspiration during the night. Dr. Paris 
very truly remarks, that there is " a certain acrimony 
and rankness in all our secretions at that time ; the 
breath has frequently a peculiar taint in the morning, 
which is not perceptible at subsequent periods of the 
day." This indicates the necessity for some bland 
diluting drink; and hot-water tea or chocolate will 
IB* 



J50 DINNER — HEAVY SUPPERS. 

answer every purpose, without the evils and dangers 
attendant on the use of "store tea". and coffee. 

Drinking early in the Morning. — But we think 
there is a still better way ; and that is, to blunt the 
acrid secretions, remove the taint, and supply the 
waste, by a draught of pure, cold water, not at break- 
fast, but on first rising out of bed in the morning. 
Hydropathic drenchings have already been noticed in 
condemnation, but these excesses are no argument 
xigainst the judicious and moderate use of water early 
in the morning. There are some with whom cold 
drinks, even in moderation, would not agree so well : 
this is particularly the case with those of .feeble vital 
powers, in whom the generation of animal heat is 
deficient. 

Dinner. — This meal should be taken about the 
middle of the day, and may be solid and substantial ; 
but ; as one of our friends expressed it, this meal is 
generally too gorge-ous : a remark applicable in 'other 
cases, as we shall see presently. 

Heavy Suppers. — Supper should be taken about 
dark, and, when the nights are short, about sun-down. 
This will allow time for the digestion of the repast, 
before retiring to rest. The stomach should have rest 
at night, as well as the other parts of the body : it is 
an outrageous imposition on this organ, to put it to 
hard work just before we go to bed. Heavy suppers 
distend the stomach, impede respiration, oppress the 
brain, cause disturbed sleep, horrid dreams, night- 
mare, and in many instances sudden death. There 
£an be no doubt that most persons "found dead in 



QUANTITY OF FOOD. 151 

bed" die of hearty suppers. If then you would enjoy 
quiet, refreshing sleep for the body, while dreams of 
peace lull the spirit, — if you would have a breath 
like the 

" Fragrant infancy of opening flowers" — 

if you would avoid disease and sadden death, shun 
heavy suppers ! This meal should consist mostly of 
toasted bread, wafers, biscuit (plain and unbolted), a 
small quantity of fresh butter, with milk or water, or 
hot-water tea, for drink. Children should be allowed 
very little, if any, fluid, for reasons that will readily 
suggest themselves. 

Quantity of Food. 

Not determined according to Gulliver. — To 
prescribe food by measure and weight, except in some 
specific cases, would be as absurd as the attempt of 
Gulliver's tailors to fit every one on abstract mathe- 
matical principles without measurement. It is obvious 
that the quantity, as well as the quality of our food, 
should be regulated by the constitution, climate, habits 
of life, &c. But where one eats too little, there are ten 
thousand who eat excessively. 

Effects of Over-Eating. — Excessive indulgence 
in the pleasures of the table has hurried more people 
to the grave than war, pestilence, famine, and alcohol 
combined ! War may ravage a country for a brief 
period, but many years of peace and prosperity will 
succeed ; a pestilence may waste cities, or even pro- 
vinces, but after all it touches but a fraction of the 



152 QUANTITY OF FOOD. 

human race ; famine is unknown in many lands, and 
the gaunt form of starving Want is seldom or never 
seen in this happy country of overflowing abundance ; 
the use of alcohol is confined to a class comparatively 
small — most women and children, and many men, 
drink not the burning fluid. In contrast with this, 
behold the work of over-eating! Its ravages are. 
ceaseless ; from year to year, it pursues its work of 
destruction, without pause or interruption ; it wastes 
not only cities and provinces, but rioting throughout 
the whole broad world, it spreads disease and death 
among all classes, ages, sexes, and conditions — maidens 
and matrons — infants and children — men, young and 
old — the feeble and the robust, are swept indiscrimi- 
nately into the grave by this fell destroyer. And this 
over-eating, combined with the exciting stimulating 
nature of our food, often inflames that thirst which 
can be quenched only by the stronger fire of spiritu- 
ous drinks. Thus is over-eating often justly charge- 
able with the evils of intoxication. And that intem- 
perance of all kinds — in eating and drinking alike — 
invites the pestilence that "walketh in darkness, and 
wasteth at noonday,' 7 needs no proof. 

Too maxy Dishes. — After over-eating, the greatest 
error in our dietetic habits is too great variety and 
complication in our dishes. Look at the heterogeneous 
compounds that constitute our modern entertainments, 
even our "plain family dinners." Here we have 
meats of all kinds, cooked in every imaginable un- 



QUANTITY OF FOOD. 153 

wholesome manner, and served up with an endless list 
of stuffings, seasonings, and garnishments ; with these, 
we have pastries and confectioneries, fruits and sauces, 
tea and coffee, hot drinks and cold drinks, sweet 
drinks and sour drinks, drinks freezing and drinks 
burning ; in short, we have a medley of incompatibles 
that bids defiance even to the subtle analysis of the 
vital chemistry of the stomach. With such habits as 
these, is it strange that people get sick ? is it strange 
that they die ? is it not more strange that they live as 
long as they do, when the system is subjected day by 
day to such outrages ? And many more would die, 
did not nature manage to relieve herself by vomiting, 
or in some other way. Our food should be plain and 
simple ; it should have sufficient variety to prevent 
loathing and disgust, but each meal should consist of 
but few dishes. This is a laic that cannot be violated 
with impunity. 






154 OF TEMPERATURE. 



\ CHAPTER VI. 

OF TEMPERATURE. 

How we are warmed. — Our bodies are warmed 
by natural and artificial means. The natural supply 
of animal heat is furnished by those vital and chemical 
changes which occur throughout the system, and more 
particularly by the union of carbon and oxygen 
through the lungs. This natural supply of heat is 
proportioned to the activity of the organic functions, 
the health of the body, and the density of the air 
breathed. This is the most desirable source of heat; 
and we should endeavor, by obedience to the laws of 
health, to keep the body in such a state of vigor that 
it may keep up its oivn fires. 

Artificial Heat. — Warming Rooms. — When 
rooms are heated by a fire, special care should be 
taken not to raise the temperature too high. Too 
much heat relaxes the skin and enfeebles the nervous 
system. The body is thus rendered extremely sensi- 
tive to cold, so much so, that persons who are in the 
habit of living in warm rooms, on going out, will 
shiver and feel exceedingly uncomfortable, in a tem- 
perature quite agreeable to others of different habits. 
But more than mere comfort is involved. People 
cannot remain shut up all the time; and the great 
difference of temperature on going out is the fruitful 
source of colds, pleurisies, rheumatisms, neuralgias, 
&c. ; &c. Eooms should be just warm enough to be 



OF TEMPERATURE. 155 

comfortable, and no warmer ; and it is safer for them 
to be a little too cold than too warm. The body, in 
health, can bear without injury almost any degree of 
uniform cold short of freezing ; and as our sensitive- 
ness to cold depends very much on habit, we should 
accustom ourselves to as low a temperature as circum- 
stances will permit. 

Dangers of neglecting the above Eule. — By 
neglecting this rule, thousands have been hurried to 
the grave ; for, next to impure air, and improper food 
and drinks, we know of no greater evils than those 
to which we are exposed from sudden changes of 
temperature. It is true that we cannot always shield 
ourselves from sudden changes of weather, but we can 
prepare ourselves to resist such influences by studi- 
ously avoiding over-heated rooms. Perhaps there is- 
scarcely a woman who will read these pages who haa 
not suffered in person or in family from passing from 
over-heated places of public resort into the open air. 
And could the grave speak, what an awful, what an 
impressive warning would it give on this subject! 
But it should be remembered, and never forgotten,, 
that our oiun houses may be so highly heated as ta 
expose us to all the dangers of public places, so far as. 
sudden changes are concerned. In proof of this it is 
only necessary to point to many good domestic women,, 
who never attend crowded places of public resort, and 
who, yet, have acquired such morbid sensitiveness by 
keeping too close, that they cannot go out, even on a 
mild spring or summer day, without shivering or 
"catching cold," if nothing worse happens to them. 

"Bad Colds.'' — It is a prevalent opinion of the 



15 6 OF TEMPERATURE. 

people that "bad colds" are caused by the coldness 
of the weather. Indeed, a great many seem to think 
that a cold, and especially one of these "bad colds," 
is an actual tangible entity, a solid substance, or 
.something of that kind, which creeps into the system, 
and nestles in the throat or lungs, from whence it is 
to be expelled by drowning it out with "yerb teas," 
or by the more violent action of some strong medicine. 
If a physician tells such people as these that any ache 
or pain is a cold, and that something must be given 
"to work off the cold," the explanation is entirely 
satisfactory, and the man of pills is set down as ; 'a 
wondrous knowing doctor." Now it is hardly neces- 
sary to say that all this is very absurd. Cold being 
only the absence of heat, has no positive existence ; and 
all medication founded on the idea of a literal expulsion 
of cold is worse than foolishness. A common cold is 
an irritation or inflammation of the mucous membrane 
lining the air-passages (as the nose, throat, bronchial 
tubes, &c), and this inflammation is generally caused 
by a sudden change of weather, and more particularly, 
by a change from cold to warm. Constant and uniform 
cold is not near so likely to affect the body injuriously 
as sudden changes of weather. The best way to avoid 
colds is to preserve the strength of the system by 
shunning all relaxing debilitating habits, and particu- 
larly excessive artificial heat, either by warm rooms 
or by clothing unnecessarily heavy. Gross feeding is 
a frequent cause of colds. 

Climate. — Southern Women". — It has just been 
seen that there is more danger in heat and in sudden 
changes than in uniform cold. The human system 



OF TEMPEBATURE. 157 

can better resist the influence of cold than that of 
great vicissitudes, or the relaxing enervating effects 
of a temperature uniformly high. Hence, the climate 
of our Southern States, with its long hot summers 
and short variable winters, is very trying to the con- 
stitution; while Southern women are exposed to 
dangers peculiar to themselves. In addition to the 
unfriendly influence of climate, they have to contend 
with difficulties originating in their physical organiza- 
tion. These sexual peculiarities, which are common 
to all women, consist in a certain softness and laxness 
of all the fibres and tissues of the body, and an exci- 
table, impressible state of the nervous system. Now, 
a hot climate produces exactly these effects, and hence, 
Southern women are subjected to the combined and 
powerful action of a natural weakness and susceptibili- 
ty, aggravated by the direct and concurrent effects of 
climate. This state of things, conjoined with a total 
disregard of the laws of health in many instances, will 
readily explain that early decay of Southern beauty 
which is a subject of common remark. That the 
women of the South are beautiful, no one will deny. 
When an artist would paint an ideal beauty, he goes 
to a Southern or Oriental clime for his original ; he 
surrounds his picture with the warm, genial, expan- 
sive atmosphere of the "sunny South;" and, dipping 
his pencil in the glowing sunlight, he tints those lips 

" And cheeks before whose bloom the rose 
Its blushing treasure-house might close." 

But, alas ! in actual life, how soon does this full- 
blown, blushing Southern beauty fade away! How 

H 



153 OF TEMPERATURE. 

soon are the roses of health supplanted by the pale 
lilies of disease ! How soon is the clear transparent 
complexion changed to a dingy yellow ! How soon 
do the full round form and smooth features wither 
and shrink under the combined influence of climate, 
constitutional weakness, and bad habits of living! 
Of all women, Southern women should best know and 
obey the laws of health. Ey a strict observance 
of these laws, unfriendly influences may be coun- 
teracted — beauty may be retained and health pre- 
served. And our object, in depicting the dangers to 
which Southern women are exposed, has been to 
induce them to provide against those dangers. We 
do sincerely hope that nothing that has been said will 
tend to produce discouragement, under the mistaken 
notion that these evils are natural,, and therefore 
unavoidable, and" should be submitted to with supine 
resignation. 

The laws of health are natural laws, and by obedi- 
ence to them health may be naturally and confidently 
expected. %Vill not our fair countrywomen conform, 
then, to those laws ? "VTill they not strive to retain 
the greatest of all earthly blessings, beauty and 
health? In the women of the South we feel a pecu- 
liar interest ; we have been reared among them ; we 
have rejoiced in their smiles, and sympathized in their 
sorrows ; in sickness, an 1 in that dark hour of distress, 
known only to their sex, we have been called to 
minister to them ; and often, too often, have we been 
able to trace the sufferings that so deeply moved our 
heart to violations of the laws of health. Will not 
our sisters return then from thjlr wanderings, and, 



OF EXERCISE. 159 

by obedience to physiological as well as moral 

law, become patterns worthy of imitation in all 
things ? 



CHAPTER VII. 



OF EXERCISE. 



In ecessaby. — Coxsequexces of Neglect. — Bodily 
exercise is absolutely essential to the proper perform- 
ance of all those vital functions, on which health and 
even life itself depend. Respiration, circulation, and 
digestion, though they are involuntary, yet their full 
and perfect performance is greatly dependent on our 
voluntary movements. Neglect of exercise weakens 
and disorders the stomach, and thus all healthful 
supplies are cut off; it reduces the capacity of the 
chest, and thus the blood is not properly vitalized ; it 
prevents free circulation in the minute vessels, and 
thus assimilation and all the vital changes effected in 
the capillaries are suspended, or imperfectly per- 
formed ; the muscles wither and lose their strength ; 
the blood-vessels become solid cords, and cease to 
convey the vital fluid ; the brain is torpid ; the nerves 
are unstrung ; the breathing is feeble ; the stomach is 
sluggish ; and universal derangement of the whole 
animal economy ensues, ending in stagnation or cessa- 
tion of motion, which is only another name for death 
itself. Life is motion, constant, ceaseless motion. 



160 OF EXERCISE. 

Exercise promotes all the vital movements, and stands 
in direct antagonism to disease, and that torpor which, 
merges 

•• In the deep stillness of that dreamless stato { 

Of sleep that knows no waking joys again/' 

Every hygienic precept as to air, food, drink,, cloth- 
ing, &c, &c, may be diligently observed, and yet, if 
the one thing needful — eocercise, be neglected, neither 
body nor mind can attain its full and perfect develop- 
ment. With correct habits in every other respect, it 
is true, life may be maintained for a time, but it will 
be a dull, monotonous, vegetative existence, "a waste 
of wearisome hours, as tedious as a twice-told tale." 

How Girls are raised. — While boys are allowed 
that freedom from restraint so necessary to their 
physical development, girls, through the influence of 
false notions of gentility, femininity, or something of 
that kind, are hampered and restrained in their move- 
ments, their natural playfulness is repressed, and con- 
sequently, they are stinted and dwarfed in body and 
mind. This process of education, or rather of destruc- 
tion, is commenced soon after the unfortunate little 
feminine emerges from the nursery -room. No time 
is lost in impressing her young mind with the great 
idea that is to govern her whole after-life — that she is 
not a boy, and not even a child, but a " little woman" — 
that she must be prim, demure, and cautious in all her 
movements, "like mamma"— that to run and romp is 
"unladylike," and to kick up her heels an indelible 
reproach on her embrj^o womanhood. 

BOARPTXG-SCIIOOLS FOR Young Ladies. — And 



OF EXEKCISE. 161 

when she gets a little older, when the line of sexuality 
is to be still more strongly drawn by sending her to a 
"boarding-school for young ladies/' it is then that 
an absurd, unnatural, and health-destroying system 
is more rigidly enforced, until this miniature-woman 
"finishes her education;" and generally about this 
time her health is also finished. We cannot dwell on 
all the evils to which girls (young ladies we should 
have said) are exposed in literary institutions, such as 
impure air, improper food, excessive mental applica- 
tion, &c. These things, combined with want of exer- 
cise, are still destroying multitudes, notwithstanding 
all that has been said and written of late years on 
physical education. Professors annually make some 
eloquent allusions to the subject, in their circulars 
and addresses, and the people respond "all right \ rr 
but then, the prevalent notions as to the true character 
and mission of woman are so deeply rooted and so 
radically wrong, that it is impossible to make a practi- 
cal application of truths that are theoretically admitted, 
without cavil. The great difficulty in this matter is 
a misconception of the true character of woman. She 
is regarded more as a tender exotic, or a beautiful 
plaything to amuse the idle hours of man, than as a 
4i help-meet" as one designed by God to stand by his 
side, and to cheer and support him in all the conflicts 
of life. Hence, a certain degree of delicacy and 
feebleness of body are considered essential elements 
in woman, and among the most attractive of her 
charms; as if a feeble, over-sensitive, and attenuated 
body must necessarily indicate purity and refinement 
of mind ; or as if the most perfect and robust physical 
K 14* 



162 OF EXERCISE. 

development could not co-exist with all that is beauti- 
ful and lovely in both the moral and physical con- 
stitution of woman ! What deep perversity of taste 
is that which prefers a pale, delicate, artificial, 
unnatural caricature of a woman, to a full -blown, full- 
grown, rosy-cheeked, bright-eyed, natural woman j 
such as the great Creator placed in the garden of Eden, 
such as he designed to be the companion, the equal, 
and the helper of man ! Women reared up in accord- 
ance with such false notions, " are as little fitted for 
encountering the toils or fulfilling the duties of life, as 
are the plants of a hot-house for being transferred to 
the open borders;" and until all these follies are 
banished from society, so that the precepts of hygiene 
can be put in practice at home and at school, we 
cannot hope for the physical regeneration of our race; 
for how can poor, puny, sickly, skeleton women be 
the mothers of strong, healthy children ? How can 
the stream be pure, when the fountain is corrupted ? 

Exercise amostg the Fashionable. — The Hope 
of our Country. — We have just seen how the majo- 
rity of girls educated according to the notions of 
" modern society" are ruined in health, by the time 
they leave school ; but should one possess sufficient 
natural vigor of constitution to resist the destructive 
influences to which she has been subjected, the work 
of death is generally completed when she "-enters 
society." She then doffs short dresses and pantalettes, 
which are exchanged for long skirts, that are any- 
thing but favorable to free muscular movements. 
She is now denied the little liberty she had in her 
girlish days; and the small amount of exercise 



OF EXERCISE. 163 

allowed her by the fashions of society, is far from 
being the best for the promotion of health and vigor. 
Exercise on foot is considered "ungenteel," and is 
taken either not at all, or only when the weather and 
everything else are perfectly favorable ; and then this 
exercise, as it is called, is a mere listless stroll for a 
short distance, and is unworthy the name of exercise, 
in comparison with those full, free, natural, unre- 
strained movements which bring all the muscles into 
play, expand the lungs, quicken the circulation, drive 
the blood to the toe and finger ends, arouse the brain, 
invigorate the digestive organs, and reanimate all 
the vital powers. These candidates for fashionable 
honors (!) instead of employing themselves in some 
useful occupation that would give healthful exercise 
to both mind and body, spend their daj^s in lounging 
on sofas, or in making fashionable carriage calls, 
while their mental food consists in the idle gossip and 
the trifling inanities of fashionable life, or in some 
over-wrought story of sickly sentimentalism. And 
are these the hope of our country? Are these the 
mothers of a future generation ? If so, our prospects 
are gloomy indeed. If so, the term of human life, 
already so frightfully abbreviated, must grow shorter 
and shorter, until the race becomes extinct. But, 
thank God, these are only a fraction of the human 
family, confined mostly to the "higher circles' ' of 
eity life. In the country we have a large reserve of 
Nature's Noblewomen, blooming, healthy, unsophisti- 
cated maidens, who know nothing of the destructive 
follies of upper-tendom, or, knowing, disregard them, 
because they are at war with common sense, subve?- 



161 OF EXERCISER 

sive of morals, restrictive of natural liberty, and 
ruinous to health. We do not pretend to say that all 
country girls are everything that they should be ; but 
in their observance of the laws of health generally, 
and particularly in the matter of exercise, they are 
far in advance of the fashionable devotees of city life ; , 
and it is to the country we most mainly. look for the 
salvation of our race from physical, as well as moral 
degeneracy. Will not the countrywomen of America 
awake, then, to their high destiny? "Will they not 
study, obey, and preach the gospel* of health, until 
the tide of fashionable folly is turned back, which is 
sweeping off so many in our cities, and threatening to 
spread disease and death throughout the land ? Will 
they not listen to the unerring counsels- of Nature in 
preference to the senseless requisitions of Fashion ? 
Then will they be the worthy mothers of a noble 
healthy race — then will they achieve a victory over 
Disease and Death more glorious in its effects on the 
human family than the brightest achievements of all 
the sages and heroes of ancient or modern times. 

Manner of Exercising. — Exercise should be of 
such a nature as to bring all the muscles into action. 
If this cannot be done by any single movement,, the 
exercises should be varied so as to accomplish this 
end. Walking, when actively performed, is an excel- 
lent exercise for the muscles of the lower extremities. 
And if the arms be placed behind the back, and the 
shoulders be thrown backward, the chest may be 



*We speak reverently^-gospel means glad-tidings ; and "what earth! y 
thing is better than health ? 



OF EXERCISE. 165 

-expanded while engaged in tliis exercise. For the 
more special means of exercising the muscles of the 
chest, we refer to the chapter on " Air." But in addi- 
tion to the recommendations there made, we would 
.suggest a "bowling-alley for young ladies. This would 
be a most excellent, healthful, and lady-like exercise 
for both mind and body, combining mental recreation 
with the action of the muscles of the chest, abdomen, 
spine, arms, and legs. Jumping the rope is another 
good exercise, which brings not only the legs, but the 
arms into requisition. If young ladies were a little 
more tomboyish now-a-days, and would indulge freely 
in this and other school-girl exercises, their health 
and happiness would be much promoted, while they 
would lose nothing in the estimation of sensible 
people. Dancing, if it could be practiced in the day- 
time, and in the open air, would be unobjectionable; 
but not better than walking or running, and especially 
when the dancing is performed in the stiff, languid, 
unnatural style required by fashion. Singing and 
reading aloud are excellent methods of cultivating the 
voice organs, and of expanding the chest, provided 
the lungs are supplied with an abundance of pure air. 
But most exercises, when engaged in for the sake of 
exercise, are likely to become irksome and to be "voted 
a bore:" exercise, then, should be combined with 
some useful occupation that will employ both brain 
and muscles. If young ladies would sweep the house, 
dust the furniture, work in the garden, spin, weave, 
and do many things pertaining to good housewifery, 
they would lose nothing in true dignity, while they 
would greatly promote health, and be a much more 



1'6'd OF EXERCISE. 

desirable acquisition to those with whom they may be 
associated in after life. It is very unfortunate that 
the domestic employments which brought health and 
happiness to the households of our mothers, are con- 
sidered menial and beneath the dignity of the daugh- 
ters of this generation. This is all wrong : labor is 
honorable in all, both men and women ; it is in accord- 
ance with the laws of our being, and obedience in this 
respect brings its own sweet reward of virtue, health, 
and happiness, while disobedience will most assuredly 
be followed by the pains and penalties annexed to 
violated law. Eebellion against the law of labor and 
the wasteful extravagances which characterize the 
women of this age, are the reasons why }^oung men 
"cannot afford to marry;" and thus do they fall a 
prey to those evil associations which cause them to- 
deride the virtue of women, while many of the latter 
are doomed to lonely maidenhood, or else to marry a 
man in advanced life, who has accumulated sufficient 
means to "furnish an establishment;" but who has 
lost the vigor and freshness of his youth, and who 
can never appreciate womanly worth as he should.. 
Carriage-riding is a common, and with many an all- 
sufficient mode of exercising; but this is merely 
passive, requiring no muscular effort except what is 
necessary to keep the body erect. Biding in a carriage 
will do very well for invalids who are incapable of 
any exertion, and it is a good means of " airing," but 
it should never be considered a good and sufficient 
exercise. Yet how many thousands of women are- 
there, whose sum total of exercise consists in a 
carriage-ride over a smooth road, two or three times 



OF EXERCISE. 167 

a week ; or perhaps once a week on Sunday ! Is it 
strange that such as these should be delicate and nerv- 
ous? is it strange that they fall into a "decline?" — 
that they pine in melancholy and become a burden to 
themselves and families, fretting in gloomy discontent 
while surrounded by wealth and all the externals of 
happiness ? Riding on horseback is preferable to 
carriage exercise ; and is considered to be particularly 
appropriate in cases of weak digestive organs; but 
we are disposed to think that this mode of exercise 
has been rather over-rated by N. P. Willis and others ; 
but still, as it has some advantages, and as Fashion 
gives it her sanction, we trust that women will avail 
themselves of it as often as possible. 

Time of Exercising. — As a general rule, exercise 
should not be taken just before, or just after eating. 
The best time for active exercise is early in the morn- 
ing before breakfast, or between breakfast and dinner. 
But it should be distinctly remembered that a sufficient 
interval should be allowed between exercising and 
eating, to allow the body to quiet down to its ordinary 
condition : the stomach should never be filled while the 
body is fatigued: and yet what habit is more common? 
To two of the above rules there are exceptions that 
may be mentioned. One of the rules given is that 
active exercise should not be taken soon after eating'. 
But there are some cases of morbid sensibility and 
inflammation of the stomach, in which there seems to 
be a concentration of excitement on this organ: in 
such cases as these, exercise after eating draws off the 
excess of blood and nervous influence from the sto- 
mach/ and acts beneficially. The exception to exer- 



168 OF EXERCISE. 

cising before breakfast applies more particularly to 
the inhabitants of chill-and-fever districts. When 
the stomach is empty, the system is more likely to be 
affected by malaria, and we are convinced both from 
theory and observation, that people who are exposed 
to malaria or marsh air, should never go out in the 
morning before eating. 

Extent axd Objects of Exercise. — The great 
objects of exercise should be to reinvigorate the 
body, and to work off the worn-out matters in the 
system. But if exercise be carried to excess, the 
surplusage is not only thrown off, but also other ele- 
ments that are necessary to the growth of the body. 
Therefore, exercise should not be excessive and over- 
fatiguing : it should be prolonged and moderate, rather 
than short and laborious, and should be stopped short 
of actual fatigue. The amount of exercise necessary, 
depends greatly on the quantity of food consumed ; 
and as muscular exercise " draws off 7 ' from the brain, 
literary persons should carefully guard against "over- 
doing the thing," and should live very light, at the 
same time recruiting the brain by an abundance 
of sleep. There is much more danger of literary 
persons exercising too little than too much, yet the 
following quotation from Dr. Hall may be useful and 
suggestive to some over-zealous reformers. Speaking 
of himself, Dr. Hall says: "When he has an article 
or a book to write in a limited time, he does not exer- 
cise at all ; he goes to bed sooner, gets up later, and 
diminishes the amount of food one-third, and is ready 
to write as early in the morning as there is natural 
light to see with perfect ease. The rapidity and 



OF SLEEP. 169 

readiness with which the brain and finders work is 

o 

amazing, as compared with full eating, stimulating 
drinks, with forced exercise and night study."* 

* "Health and Disease/' p. 98. 



CHAPTER YIII. 

OF SLEEP. 

"What is Sleep? — It is not necessary to go into 
•an argument to prove that sleep is indispensable to 
health, when almost every one has felt the distress- 
ing sensations arising from loss of rest. Sleep is the 
cessation of all the functions that connect us with the 
external world ; and when sleep is profound, the func- 
tions of the brain and all the phenomena of mind are 
also suspended. So that dreaming, in which the 
brain is partially awake, is an evidence that the rest 
is imperfect. Persons who live right seldom dream. 
Time for Sleep. — Fashionable Parties. — 

"This dead of night, this silent hour of darkness, 
Xature for rest ordain'd and soft repose." 

All Nature conspires in proclaiming this truth so 
beautifully expressed. When night spreads her sable 
curtain, the din of business is hushed; the lower 
-animals, obedient to the signal, retire to their "grassy 
couch;" a refreshing coolness pervades the air, a 
.dreamy stillness rests upon the earth, all, all, inviting 

15 



170 OF SLEEP. 

to repose. How strange then that human beings* 
should be deaf to this eloquent language ! How 
strange that they should pervert the order of nature, by 
converting day into night, and night into day ? — And 
yet it is so. With multitudes, night is not a season 
of rest for invigorating the mental and bodily powers, 
but a time for soul-and-body-destroying dissipations 
and "teeming mischiefs." This is the time for 
fashionable parties, where, in addition to want of rest, 
the system is poisoned by impure air, and oppressed 
by excessive and improper eating and drinking ; while 
the mind and all the moral feelings are worked up 
into a feverish state of excitement which reacts with 
terrible effect on the poor, abused, and over-burdened 
physical frame. Can any one believe for a moment- 
that the laws of nature can be thus violated with, 
impunity ? As soon might a feeble woman expect to 
have the foaming cataract of Niagara poured on her 
head without injury ! No ; as surely as God exists,, 
so surely will every violation of physical law be- 
visited with its legitimate punishment. These laws 
are written in our frame by the hand of the Almighty 
himself; and they are as fixed, and as immutable in 
their nature and consequences, as the Author of them.. 
One of these laws is that night teas ordednedfor sleep ;■ 
and let not those who avoid scenes of excitement and 
dissipation, and who yet keep late hours, flatter them- 
selves that they incur no risk. In one respect at leasts 
they subvert the order of nature, and must suffer 
accordingly. Day sleep will not answer as a substitute 
for Tiight sleep. Circumstances may sometimes render 
it necessary to make up in the day for unavoidable 



OF SLEEP. 171 

loss of rest ; yet this necessity should; as far as possible, 
be avoided. The rule is — " Early to bed and early to 
rise" &c. 

How long should we Sleep ? — The amount of 
sleep necessary will vary according to age and habits 
of life, and probably according to sex. Children 
require more sleep than grown persons. It is a com- 
mon opinion that women need more sleep than men, 
and this is not unreasonable, when we take into con- 
sideration the greater delicacy of woman. Those who 
lead an active laborious life, of course require more 
sleep than those who live differently. No precise rule 
of universal applicability can be given, then ; the one 
just mentioned — " Early to bed and early to rise" — i& 
a safe guide for all; for there is more danger of sleep- 
ing too little than too much, and we cannot go far 
wrong, if we follow the dictates of nature, and sleep 
in the night, and the night only. Many people, when. 
engaged in some particular task, imagine that they" 
gain greatly by stealing the hours which should be : 
devoted to repose : this is a great mistake ; by taking 
the accustomed amount of sleep, the mind and body 
are reinvigorated, the health is preserved, and the 
work is better, if not more speedily done. Too much- 
sleep produces torpor and imbecility of mind, andl 
debility of body ; and therefore all day sleep should., 
as a general rule, be excluded. Yet a siesta,; or after- 
dinner nap, in the long sultry days of summer, is 
certainly very pleasant, and, in our opinion, as health- 
ful as pleasant, provided the nap is not longer than one 
hour, and is not taken immediately after a hearty 
meal. To avoid sleeping too long, it would be best. 



172 OF SLEEP. 

to take this nap sitting up, leaning the head on a table 
as suggested by Dr. Hall. 

Beds, Fires, &c. — Considerations of economy have 
banished feather-beds from many public-houses ; and 
it would be well if the more important consideration 
of health would induce people to forego the luxury % 
of soft feather-beds entirely. They are non-con- 
ductors of electricity, and therefore interfere with the 
electric currents of the body ; and besides this, they 
are a fit reservoir for the poisonous and contagious 
emanations from the bodies of previous occupants; 
.and they also unduly heat the body, thus producing 
an enervating effect. They should therefore be ex- 
cluded by all who value health more than a soft bed ; 
and their places should be supplied by mattresses 
made of straw, hair, or moss, or, what is better than 
either, cotton. Cotton-beds are sufficiently warm, and 
■persons who become accustomed to them, will find 
'them far more comfortable than to be buried in 
feathers. As to the ventilation of sleeping-rooms, we 
have already spoken sufficiently. As a general rule, 
"fires should not be left burning in sleeping-rooms on 
retiring at night : where the room is damp, it may be 
advisable to have a fire kindled before going to bed, 
'but it should be extinguished on retiring. 

Position. — Night-Caps. — Dreams of Bliss. — The 
position of the body during sleep is worthy of atten- 
tion. When the head is much higher than the 
shoulders it tends to produce deformity, and interferes 
with free breathing. The shoulders, then, should be 
on the same plane with the head, and both should be 
but slighttly elevated. Night caps, if used at all, 



OF DRESS. 173 

should be very thin : if it is necessary to use anything 
to keep the hair back, it would be best to wear a. 
netted or lace cap. And finally we would remark, if 
our fair readers will obey the rules contained in this 
chapter, and follow the other precepts of hygiene,. 
' they may be assured of deep and quiet sleep, undis- 
turbed by frightful dreams ; for if they dream at all, it 
will be such rosj^ blissful dreams, as the Angel of 
Health delights to send to the couch of maiden purity — 
such as the soft whisperings that light the smile of 
dreaming infancy, 



CHAPTER IX. 

OF DRESS. 
In Dress, consult Health and Comfort first — Ornament next. 

Dress necessary. — Its Abuses. — The human body 
possessing no natural covering like that of most of 
the lower animals, clothing seems to be necessary to 
some extent, to shield us from the rays of the sun, and 
to retain the heat of our bodies. But those who are 
conversant with Bible history know that the first 
attempt at dress had its origin in the depravity of 
human nature, consequent on the fall of man from his 
pristine purity and innocency. It is equally true that 
the amount of clothing required depends very much 
on habit ; for one who is accustomed to wearing thin 
and light clothing will feel comfortable, while others 

15* 



174 OF DEESS. 

of different liabits will shiver with, cold, even when 
clad in cloaks, shawls, and flannel under-garments. 
It is also highly probable that virtue and purity have 
not in any wise been promoted by the concealments 
of dress. And when we take these 'things into con- 
sideration, together with the boundless extravagances 
and follies of dress, and the numberless diseases and 
deaths that have ensued therefrom, we may be ready 
to come to the conclusion, that this human device has 
been a greater curse than a blessing to mankind. 
But the abuse of a thing is no legitimate argument 
against its proper use ; and, as God sanctioned the use 
of clothing by making " coats of skin" for Adam and 
Eve," it would be worse than idle to advocate the 
abolition of dress under existing circumstances. 

The Law of Dress. — The great law of dress, to 
which everything should be made subservient, has 
already been announced — Health and comfort first, — 
ornament next The dress should be plain, neat, clean, 
loose, and rather light than heavy. It should be plain 
and neat, because these are the elements of true 
beauty; and because God clothed our first parents in 
simple skins, thus showing the great design of dress 
to be utility, and not ornament. The dress should be 
clean, because it is demanded hj decency and good 
taste ; it should be loose and light, so as to avoid all 
oppression and restraint, so that every muscle may 
"have the most perfect freedom of motion, while mind 
.and body are equally at ease. 

Bo^stets. — Low Dresses. — Tight Dresses. — 

* Genesis, iii. 21. 



OF DRESS. 175 

Pointed Waists, &c. — The slightest review of the 
fashions of the clay will convince every one, that they, 
-with very few exceptions, stand directly opposed to 
Tiealth and comfort; and that the latter have been 
^sacrificed through false notions of the beautiful, or 
^through a blind subservience to the decrees of the 
ifickle goddess. This is more particularly true of the 
dress of women, for their apparel is chosen more for 
ornament than for health, comfort, economy, or utility. 
Tn proof of this it is only necessary to mention those 
airy things of lace, straw, hair, and ribbons, called 
bonnets. And those gossamer materials, that constitute 
.a large part of the dress of women, and which afford 
^about as much protection as cobwebs, are no better. 
,3uch flimsy ornaments (we cannot call them clothing) 
Tiave no service in them, and they are no protection 
^against the piercing blasts of winter. One important 
law of dress is, that uniformity should be observed, 
:and all great and sudden changes avoided. But here 
is a 3 r oung lady who generally has the upper part of 
Tier person covered ; but now she is about to attend a 
b>all or evening party, and Fashion decrees that she 
must wear a "low neck and short sleeves:" her arms 
and neck are therefore entirely bare, or they have 
-nothing over them except some gauzy, web-like tissue, 
which gives no protection, and which leaves her 
snowy breast the ready spoil of hungry eyes. And 
then when the body is debilitated and relaxed, from 
"breathing a heated and vitiated air for hours, and from 
Toss of rest, and when it is reeking with perspiration, 
she exposes herself to the cold and frosty night air ! 
Is it at all strange that such gross violations of the 



176 OF DRESS. 

laws of health, as this should be followed by disease- 
and death ? This unequal temperature, this exposure 
of parts usually covered, unbalances the circulation,, 
and is the fruitful source of "bad colds," consumptions, 
rheumatisms, &c, &c. And those who thus expose 
themselves must suffer the consequences. But there. 
is another still greater evil than this half-dressing, and. 
that is tight dressing. We have already seen how 
yielding and compressible the ribs are. Compression 
of the chest by tight dress-bodies, or in any other 
way, must then seriously diminish the breathing; 
capacity of the lungs, and prevent those changes in 
the blood which are necessary to purify it and fit it 
for its important offices in the animal economy. The 
.dress-bodies worn in the present day interfere with 
the breathing about as much as corsets : they are too 
long, too closely fitting, and they have too much whale- 
bone about them. These bodies thus splinted up are- 
fastened with unyielding hooks and eyes, and the chest 
is as much compressed as if bound with the strongest 
cords. 

But these tight and long-pointed dress-bodies not 
only compress the lungs ; they also press the stomach,, 
liver, and bowels downward, thus causing dyspepsia,, 
liver complaint, and costiveness, while the womb is 
forced downwards, causing that very common and 
troublesome disorder, "falling of the womb." But. 
the evil stops not here : the muscles of the back, 
and chest are partially paralyzed from this com- 
pression, and therefore, when they are released from, 
their bondage, they are incapable of sustaining the 
body erect, and it falls forward, causing spinal curva- 



OF DBESS. 177 

ture and " round shoulders." We liave ; then, as the 
direct result of compression, the following train of dis- 
orders : Eespiration is impeded ; the blood is imper- 
fectly vitalized, and as a consequence all the secretions 
and excretions of the body are deranged ; the breath- 
ing is hurried ; the heart is excited ; there is palpita- 
tion of this organ, with pains in the breast. The 
abdominal organs share in the disorder of those of 
the chest; the stomach, liver, and womb are dis- 
placed, and thus v^e have falling of the womb and 
dyspepsia, with its thousand untold and indescribable 
symptoms, as sick stomach, deranged bowels, nervous- 
ness, low spirits, '&c, &c. The brain, the great foun- 
tain of vitality and intellectuality, also participates in 
the general derangement, and congestion or rush of 
blood to the head ensues, as is manifested by giddi- 
ness, throbbing, headache, trembling, &c. Now if to 
these direct effects of impeded respiration, the aggra- 
vations that necessarily ensue from spinal curvature 
be added, we have a picture of disease and suffering 
that may well startle the most thoughtless. And this 
picture is not overdrawn, for the originals may be 
seen, alas ! in every part of our country. 

Eeasoks for these Tight Bodies. — Only two 
plausible reasons can be adduced to explain this 
absurd and health-destroying fashion. One of these 
is the mistaken idea that it renders the person more 
beautiful, and the other is to obtain mechanical aid for 
enfeebled muscles, and thus to secure a "good car- 
riage." But both these designs will either fail 
entirely of accomplishment, or only partial and tem- 
L 



178 OF DEESS. 

porary success will be obtained, at the expense of ease, 
of health, and even life itself. For no one of good 
taste can admire an artificial, contracted waist. And 
while we would not insinuate that the main object of 
the dress of women should be to excite the admiration 
of men, we trust that our fair readers will excuse us 
for reminding them that the full and graceful rotun- 
dity of Nature is much more agreeable to our sex 
than the wasp -waists and artificial constrictions of 
Fashion ; for, to speak plainly, men generally regard 
all such attempts with secret aversion and disgust ; 
while with many those feelings are mingled with sor- 
row, in view of the dreadful consequences that must 
ensue from these vain and futile efforts to improve on 
Nature's handiwork. A good carriage, or what is 
esteemed as such, may possibly be obtained by artifi- 
cial support to the muscles of the chest ; but let us for 
a moment trace the consequences of success. Here 
then is a young lady, or a girl (all girls are young 
ladies now-a-days) ; she has been reared amid the re- 
finements, enervations, and constraints of " modern 
society;" she has been closely confined within doors, 
excluded from the light and air ; she has drunk warm 
drinks, and fed on crude, indigestible food; she has 
slept on feather-beds, and kept late hours ; in short, 
she has violated every law of health, until her phys- 
ical frame is so enfeebled that she is wholly incapa- 
ble of any continuous muscular effort. And now she 
is about to "enter society," and a good carriage is an 
indispensable passport to favor. The head must be 
held as erect as that of a militia captain ; the shoulders 
must be kept back ; the body must incline neither to 



OF DRESS. 179 

the right nor the left, but must sit, stand, and move 
according to the rules prescribed by the dancing- 
master. Now, does any one believe that such unfor- 
tunate victims as we have described, who may be 
found all over the land, in town and country, are 
equal to the task imposed upon them? It is an 
established physiological fact that the muscles are 
incapable of continued action, but that contraction 
and relaxation must alternate. How, then, can these 
feeble and trembling bodies accomplish what would be 
impossible even for a giant ? "What is the remedy ? 
Can ingenuity overcome a physical impossibility? 
Yes, even this may be done for a time, by artificial 
support ; and as a good carriage must be secured at 
all hazards, the muscles are corded, and splinted, and 
braced; and thus, the end is attained ivithout muscular 
effort. A happy idea, truly! Mother and daughter 
are both equally delighted ; one because she is relieved 
from the labor of trying to do what she cannot ; and 
the other because the lovely daughter can now retain 
the desired position, and no thanks to perverse dame 
Nature. And thus is the body made to conform to 
the stiff, languid, unnatural, constrained, and mechani- 
cal movements which are considered essential to a 
good carriage. And what follows ? The muscles of 
the chest become still more feeble, and even paralyzed, 
from inaction, in accordance with another physio- 
logical law which requires that muscles shall have 
exercise as well as rest. Thus do the muscles become 
incapable of keeping the body erect, and the spine 
bends forward, and the unfortunate object of so much 
maternal solicitude becomes "humr>shouldered" as 



180 OF DRESS. 

well as diseased ; and thus are blighted all the fond 
anticipations of the attainment of beauty and grace ! 

HOW TO ACQUIRE A GOOD CARRIAGE. — In view 

of these facts, then, we sincerely hope that health and 
life will no longer be sacrificed to false ideas of the 
beautiful ; for 

"Xaturo when unadorned 's adorned the most;" 

and perfect health, beauty, and grace can be obtained 
only by leaving the body free and unrestrained. If 
our readers would secure that desirable grace, a good 
carriage, they must live naturally and unartificially — 
they must let Nature do her own perfect work without 
the interference of the dressmaker, or dancing-master ; 
they must have an abundance of fresh air, wholesome 
food, a plenty of sleep, and above all, a plenty of 
exercise, icith the most perfect freedom of every muscle. 
A girl thus raised might appear a little hoidenish, and 
even a little tomboy ish, according to modern notions ; 
but such a girl could not be ungraceful to one who 
looked with the right kind of eyes at things. 

Thizst Shoes. — How to protect the Feet, &c. — 
Another great error in the dress of women is the 
custom of wearing thin paper-soled shoes. The 
circulation in the feet, legs, and other parts distant 
from the heart is naturally more affected by cold than 
those parts nearer the heart. The circulation in those 
parts being more feeble than in others, special care 
should be taken to keep the feet and hands warm. 
But the shoes generally worn by women are a very 
inadequate protection against wet and cold, and hence, 
the circulation is interrupted, and the blood which 



OF DRESS. 181 

should circulate through, the feet is thrown on the 
vital internal organs, often causing the most serious 
and fatal diseases. This interference with the circula- 
tion is also increased by the tightness of the shoes, 
which causes them to compress the blood-vessels, while 
the same thing gives rise to corns and bunions, which 
render walking so painful as to prevent that exercise 
so essential to health. Shoes should be sufficiently 
thick to protect the feet from wet and cold, and they 
should be loose enough to allow a free circulation. 
India rubber shoes are objectionable because they 
prevent evaporation, and keep the feet too damp from 
perspiration. They should only be worn occasionally 
as over-shoes. Thick cork or leather soles afford the 
best protection, all things considered. For habitually 
cold feet, the best of all remedies is to dip them in 
cold water every night and then rub them well after- 
wards. Corns may be permanently cured by soaking 
them well in warm water, trimming them closely with 
a sharp knife, and then placing over them one or two 
sealing- wafers. This is to be followed by soft shoes 
that will not cramp the feet, and if these shoes be 
continued, the corns will never return. The legs 
should be protected in winter by drawers, in addition 
to the stockings. As a general rule, cotton stockings 
are better for health than yarn. Garters, by prevent- 
ing the free flow of the blood through the veins, 
interfere with the circulation, and sometimes cause the 
veins to become enlarged and knotty; therefore, if 
anything is used to keep the stockings up, it should 
be something very elastic and yielding. 

Hoop-Skirts. — Long Dresses. — Until the intro- 
16 



182 OF DRESS. 

duction of hoop-skirts, women suffered greatly from 
the weight and heat of the number of under-garments 
that were found necessary to give sufficient fullness 
to the dress. This excess of clothing hung on to the 
hips and lower part of the abdomen is well calculated 
to cause "falling of the womb" by the mere weight; 
and at the same time, the excessive heat causes relaxa- 
tion, which makes the womb much more easy to 
displace, and which is a frequent cause of " whites." 
When this state of things is combined with long 
pointed waists and corsets, or bodies which are as 
tight as corsets, no wonder that the above diseases are 
so common; for the womb could hardly resist the 
influence of a heavy dragging weight hung on to it 
below, while, at the same time, crowded down by the 
stomach, liver, &c, from abovfc. 

In the matter of hoop-skirts, then, we are glad to 
find fashion, for once, on the side of health and 
comfort. This fashion renders it unnecessary to resort 
to so many under-skirts to make the dress sufficiently 
full. And even admitting that the number of skirts 
is not diminished, the downward dragging weight is 
obviated, to a great extent, by the resisting hoops 
which sustain them. This fashion can well be toler- 
ated, when the widest expansion cannot be injurious to 
health : and it is much to be desired that this expan- 
sion should extend upivard until the bodies of dresses 
become a little more ample. The very long dresses 
of the present day are objectionable. They are 
cumbersome, uncleanly, and wastefully extravagant. 
They prevent freedom of motion in walking; they 
gather the dirt from the roads and streets as they 



OF DRESS. 183 

drag their beautiful lengths along ; and they cannot 
possibly last. In view of all these things, then, and 
others that might be mentioned, our verdict is : Let 
the skirts of dresses be sufficiently Bloomerized to 
swing clear of the ground, if no more. 

TJnder-Q-arments. — Cooling off. — Flannel and 
silk under-garments are much worn, and are strongly 
advocated by many physicians, but in the large ma- 
jority of cases we think they might well be dispensed 
with ; for they render the skin highly susceptible to 
cold, and the danger of removing them is so great in 
a variable climate like ours, that, in our opinion, more 
"colds" have been caused than prevented, and more 
lives lost than saved, by their use. Those who wear 
their flannels next the skin all the year, and who have 
smarted under them in warm weather, and those who, 
to avoid this evil, have "changed" too early, will 
equally agree that there is a better way. This will 
be pointed out hereafter. We conclude then by re- 
marking that flannel next the skin should be avoided, 
except under peculiar circumstances of disease, great 
debility, or unusual exposure. When worn at all it 
should either be worn all the year round, or the 
weather should be warm and well settled, before it is 
thrown off. 

Under this head we may properly say a few words 
about cooling off. Persons should never sit or lie 
down in a current of air, or remove any of the clothing, 
after ceasing from active exercise. Instead of lighten- 
ing the dress, it should be increased under these circum- 
stances, by throwing on a cloak, cape, or shawl, even 
in summer. Attention to this simple rule would save 



184 OF DRESS. 

many lives annually, for the most dangerous and fatal 
forms of disease are caused by cooling off too rapidly. 

Management of the Hair. — The hair should 
never be twisted, knotted, or pulled contrary to its 
natural direction, if you would avoid baldness and 
head-ache. The scalp should be washed and rubbed 
frequently with cold water, which will generally be 
sufficient to keep the hair from falling out, and to keep 
it smooth and glossy, without the use of grease and 
pomatums, which should never be used except as a 
temporary expedient in some rare cases. The water 
should be well rubbed in around the roots of the hair, 
with the ends of the fingers, avoiding wetting the body 
of the hair, as far as possible. Should the scalp be 
obstinately dry and harsh, it may be safely washed 
with a weak cold solution of green tea, or with spirits 
of Castile soap containing a few grains of tannin, as 
prescribed by Dr. Hall. In cases of this kind the 
following may be applied : alcohol eight parts, water 
eight parts, spirits of hartshorn one part. Cologne 
water may also be used; but perhaps the best plan 
under these circumstances, and especially if there be 
an accumulation of dandruff, is to have the head 
thoroughly shampooed, after the fashion of the barbers, 
repeating the operation at intervals, until the scalp is 
perfectly clean, and is stimulated into vigorous health- 
ful action. The daily use of the fine comb is also 
excellent in these cases. 

Origin of the Fashions. — We would not cast a 
shadow of reproach on the virtue of American women, 
but we must say that many of the fashions adopted 
by them, originated with less virtuous women, and 



OF DKESS. 185 

were intended to render tliem more attractive in the 
eyes of lewd men. These fashions are imported from 
France mostly, and they are adopted by our women 
without a moment's thought as to their original design. 
There can be but little doiibt that the explanation 
above given will account for the introduction of low- 
necked dresses, short sleeves, pads, &c. Now it is too 
bad for us to be thus led by the nose, in matters of 
dress, by the most licentious people on the face of tlie 
earth, perhaps, and the women of America should show 
their independence and good sense by sternly resisting 
all fashions that outrage decency, pander to vice, or 
jeopardize health. 

Kules to be hung over every Lady's Looking- 
glass. 

1st. Consult health and comfort first — ornament 
next. 

2d. Let the dress be so fitted and arranged that 
body and mind will be equally at ease. 

3d. Let the dress be uniform: avoid all sudden 
changes. 

4th. Let the dress be rather light than heavy. 

5th. Never expose a part of the body usually 
covered. 

6th. Put on a shawl or cloak after exercise, &c. 

7th. Keep the feet, legs, and arms well clad. 

8th. Never adopt any fashion that requires any 
improper exposure of any part of your person. 
16* 



186 OF BATHING, 



CHAPTEE X. 
OF BATHING. 

Bathing necessary. — As we shall have much to 
say on the hygienic and medicinal use of water, it 
may be proper to premise that we do not belong to 
the hydro-maniacal class who seem to think that the 
human skin was made only to be washed. Indeed, we 
cannot say that bathing would be necessary at all, if 
all our habits were made to conform to the laws of 
our organism ; if the passions were duly controlled 
and properly directed; if diet, exercise, clothing, 
temperature, air, sleep, amusements, &c, w^ere just as 
they should be, bathing would still be desirable as a 
pleasurable indulgence, and as a measure of cleanli- 
ness, but it would not be essential to the preservation 
of health. And as ladies are less subject to contami- 
nation than the "rest of mankind," they would seldom 
find it necessary to bathe for the purpose of purifica- 
tion. But they, if possible, are even more unphysio- 
logical in their habits than men; and they are 
peculiarly exposed, "'as society now exists," to all 
those influences which result in torpor of the capillary 
system of vessels, and congestion or engorgement of 
the internal organs. Bathing may be regarded then 
as absolutely indispensable ; for, while it may not be 
competent to counteract all the evils consequent on 
numberless violations of the laws of life, there is 



OF BATHING. 187 

nothing so direct and effectual in the removal of those 
internal congestions, which may be considered the 
sum total of the multiform maladies to which civilized 
flesh is heir. Every house then should have a bathing 
apartment; but in the absence of all other con- 
veniences, a quart of water and a towel can be procured 
at all places ;> and a general " wash down" or bath of 
some kind should be taken frequently. 

Manner in which Water acts. — As a knowledge 
of the physiological action of water is essential to its 
judicious use, either as a preventive or curative agent, 
we invite special attention to the following explana- 
tions on this point. The application of cold water to 
the surface is followed by two distinct and opposite 
effects. The first, or direct effect, is that of a sedative 
— that is, it abstracts heat and depresses the vital 
powers. This temporary depression is followed by 
reaction, which is the second, or indirect effect resulting 
from the use of water of a lower temperature than 
the body. In its indirect reactive action, it is stimulant 
or excitant. We have, then, the direct sedative, and 
the indirect excitant effects of cold water. Let us now 
see how each of these effects is manifested. When 
the water comes in contact with the skin, the first 
result is a vivid shock to the whole nervous system. 
This is manifested by shivering, great dullness, and 
involuntary contraction of the muscles, sometimes 
amounting to a " cramp." Simultaneous with this 
shock, there is repulsion, or driving back of the fluids 
to the internal organs. This shows itself in a sensible 
diminution of the temperature of the surface, and by 
paleness and shrinking of the skin, fullness of the 



188 OF BATHING. 

head, " goose bumps/' &c. When reaction ensues, 
there is a strong determination to the minute vessels 
of the skin, and perhaps to the same system of vessels 
(capillary) in every part of the body. This is mani- 
fested by an increase of temperature, by the expansion 
of the skin, by a return of its color, by the disappear- 
ance of all feelings of oppression, and by the substitu- 
tion of an indescribably delightful glow, a buoyancy 
and elasticity, which seem to give new life and energy 
to the whole system, mental and bodily. The degree 
of reaction after the cold bath is, in general, propor- 
tioned to the coldness of the water ; to the suddenness and 
force of the immersion ; to the vigor of the circulation in 
geieral, and more particularly that of the surface ; to the 
■muscular movements IN the bath ; to the friction and 
exercise after the bath ; and finally, within certain 
limits, to the period of stay in it. 

The different Kinds of Baths. — Baths are 
commonly divided into hot, warm, cold, and tepid;. 
but as the terms hot and cold are entirely relative, 
what is hot or warm to one person being cool or cold 
to another, according to the temperature of the body, 
we propose to divide all baths into two classes, plus 
and minus. To the first class, belong all baths above 
the actual or relative temperature of the body — all baths 
which act primarily as stimulants or excitants. The 
second class includes all baths below the actual or 
relative temperature — all which abstract heat, and 
exert a sedative influence. To the first class, belongs 
what is commonly called the hot bath : and the warm 
bath properly belongs to the second, though writers 
have confounded the hot and warm bath, and frequent- 



OF BATHING. 189 

ly prescribe the latter as if it were a stimulant instead 
of a sedative. It is hardly necessary to say that the 
tepid, cool, and cold baths of course belong to the 
minus or sedative division. The warm bath is a most 
valuable medicinal agent, but its hygienic uses are 
much more restricted than those of the cold bath. 
Indeed, it should but seldom be resorted to as a pre- 
ventive of sickness, except by very feeble persons, 
and as a preparatory measure. 

Temperature and Time of Bathing. — The par- 
ticular kind of bath, the temperature, &c, should be 
regulated by the condition and convenience of the 
bathers. Water may be used hygienically, by general 
&&& partial ablutions , hj plunging, by sponging, and by 
showering. When persons are in vigorous health, and 
have the necessary facilities, the cold plunge or shower 
bath is highly conducive both to health and comfort 
The fact is, ladies, if you have never experienced the 
indescribably delightful sensations resulting from the 
reactive glow of the cold shower or plunge bath, you 
have missed one of the greatest enjoyments of life. 
This is an excitement far more pleasant than that 
produced by snuff, opium, wine, or any other stimu- 
lant ; and even the last sensation novel is nothing to 
compare to it; while the best of all is, instead of 
enervating and destroying, it invigorates and pre- 
serves : it allays the tumult of passion, and "soothes a 
troubled breast;" it promotes cheerfulness, beautifies 
the complexion, strengthens the muscles, quiets the 
nerves, purifies the blood, expands the superficial 
vessels of the skin, wakes up the dormant energies of 
the whole system, relieves internal oppression, and 



190 OF BATHING. 

conduces in every way to health of body and mind, and 
is therefore one of the very best securities for a " green 
old age." Go, then, blooming maidens and mothers, 
wash and be — healthy ; plunge fearlessly into lake and 
stream ; or let the crystal drops of health-giving water 
play freely upon you, and you will soon be willing to 
incur the trouble and inconvenience for the pure 
enjoyment, to say nothing of health. 

Swimming is one of the most agreeable and healthful 
accompaniments of bathing, and ladies should acquire 
this very desirable art ; for apart from the advantages 
mentioned, it may be the means of saving them from 
the dangers to which they are so often exposed in this 
reckless traveling age. Of course it is understood 
that the above is intended only for vigorous persons ; 
those that are more feeble, and children under a year 
old, should use a tepid bath at first, gradually 
reducing the temperature as the system becomes 
accustomed to the water. By pursuing this course, 
very feeble persons, and delicate children, may take 
some form of cold bath daily, not only without injury 
but with great benefit ; and every man, woman, and 
child in the land should bathe or wash at least once a 
week, in water either warm, tepid, or cold, according 
to circumstances ; but as a general rule, the colder the 
better. Yet while it is true, that cold water is the 
best as a hygienic agent, we must repeat our caution 
against its use without due regard to the attendant 
circumstances of each individual case ; and we consider 
this caution the more necessary because it is no 
uncommon thing for feeble and sensitive persons who 
jiave never been accustomed to bathing, to begin with 



OF BATHING. 191 

the cold shower -bath, or cold affusion. Those who 
act thus unwisely, often experience ill effects, and they 
very improperly come to the conclusion that water is 
entirely unsuited to their case, and perhaps abandon 
it for ever, and never cease to decry one of the best, if 
not the very best, of all health-preservers. Sponging 
the upper portion of the body in cold water is one of 
the very best preventives of coughs and colds, and is 
far preferable to the use of silks and flannels next the 
skin. We would advise those who have " weak lungs," 
to wet the chest, neck, and arms every morning in 
cold water, following this application by active friction 
with a coarse towel or hair glove. Very delicate 
persons should use the water tepid or warm at first. 
If these directions were judiciously adhered to, we 
think that silk and flannel under-garments might well 
be dispensed with in the large majority of cases in 
which they are now used ; for the cold water is not only 
a better protection against atmospheric vicissitudes, 
but it is more pleasant and more safe, whatever hydro- 
phobic people may think of the latter position. The 
dangers of flannels, &c, have already been adverted to. 
The time of bathing should be duly regarded. No 
general, or even extensive partial bath should be 
taken immediately after eating, or when the body is 
fatigued or exhausted from exertion, or any other 
depressing influence. There should be an interval of 
two or three hours between the meal and the bath, 
and even a longer time than this, if the digestion is slow 
and difficult. Early in the morning is the best and 
most convenient time for bathing, and the vital react- 
ive powers are generally stronger at this time from 



192 OF BATHING. 

the reinvigorating effects of " tired Nature's sweet 
restorer." 

Means of pkocuring Eeaction. — In the use of 
the cold bath, the most essential thing is to obtain 
full and vigorous reaction; for to this, its hygienic 
virtues are mainly due, and without it, more or less 
injury must inevitably ensue. For securing reaction, 
exercise is worthy of the first consideration. This . 
should precede and follow the bath whenever it is 
practicable. For, while fatigue is to be carefully 
guarded against, sufficient exercise to cause a glow and 
even perspiration will insure vigorous reaction with 
all its attendant benefits. It is a very prevalent error 
that it is highly injurious to check perspiration by 
the application of cold water to the surface; but so 
far is this from being true that it is best to exercise 
to the perspiring point, as a preparatory step ; pro- 
vided, always, that fatigue and exhaustion are not 
induced. 

But exercise after the bath is even more important - 
and it should always be used to as great an extent as 
the nature of the case will allow. Exercise in the 
bath, is also very beneficial, and hence, the advantages 
of swimming, rubbing with one's own hands, &c. It 
has been seen that the reaction within certain limits, 
is proportioned to the coldness of the water, and the 
period of stay in it : that is, the colder the water, and 
the longer the stay, the greater the reaction. But as 
the reactive powers can be known only by experiment, 
the most prudent course would be to test the vital 
resistance, by reducing the temperature of the bath 
gradually, and by remaining in it but a short time at 



OF BATHING. 193 

first ; and it should be distinctly remembered that the water 
is too cold, or the immersion too long, when headache, dull- 
ness, and chilliness remain for any length of time after a 
cold lath. To remove these effects, and to promote 
reaction when they are not present, active friction is 
second only to exercise, and it should always be used 
when a strong determination to the surface is desired — 
when the reactive powers are naturally feeble — or when 
debility or any other circumstance prevents exercise. 
Friction is best performed with a coarse towel, a flesh 
"brush, or hair glove, or piece of grass cloth ; and the 
hand itself is excellent when passed rapidly over the 
body ; indeed, in many cases it seems to be preferable to 
anything else, on account of its warmth, its ready 
adaptation to the inequalities of the body, and perhaps, 
to an electric or magnetic influence. 

Objections to Bathing. — It has been seen that we 
are a strong advocate for bathing ; and notwithstanding 
our disclaimer, some may still consider us a little hydro- 
maniacal. We cannot undertake to answer all the 
objections that have been urged against frequent bath- 
ing. The most plausible one is that bathing washes 
away the oil that lubricates the skin ; and one late writer 
compares our skins to the scales of fishes. All that 
we have to say to this is that there is little or no 
analogy between the human skin and that of fishes, 
and if it were possible to remove the oil, so that we 
could not bend about, it might be readily resupplied 
artificially. When such arguments as these are used, 
we can but think that the objectors are hard run by 
hydropaths. 

M 17 



194 OF THE EXCRETIONS. 



CHAPTER XI. 
OF THE EXCRETIONS. 

Nature of the Excretions. — The excretions are 
those evacuations from the lungs, liver, skin, bowels, 
and kidneys, by which worn-out, useless, and injurious 
matters are thrown off from the body. The proper 
action of the excretory organs mentioned, is absolutely 
essential to health, and even existence itself; for the 
suspension of any one of them, for any length of time, 
is followed by the most violent forms of disease, result- 
ing, without speedy relief, in death. The excretions 
are divided into voluntary and involuntary. Over the 
excretory functions of the lungs, liver, and skin, the 
will has no direct control. Yet the proper perform- 
ance of their functions may be secured by due attention 
to all the hygienic agents, already passed in review, 
and those yet to be noticed. It is only necessary, 
then, to mention the symptoms by which disorder of 
these organs is manifested. When the lungs fail to 
perform their functions, the skin is pale and dull, the 
expression is lifeless, and numberless diseases ensue 
as a consequence of poisoned blood which has not 
been purified, &c. If the liver fails to throw off its 
bile, the latter is mingled with the current of circula- 
tion, staining the skin and eyes yellow, and causing 
headache, dullness of spirits, dyspepsia, and many 
other symptoms. If the skin does not perform its 
functions properly, the blood is poisoned, and the 



OF THE EXCRETIONS. 195 

lungs ; brain, heart, liver, bowels, and in short, all the 
vital organs are affected, as is manifested by coughs, 
inflammation of the lungs, gripings, diarrhoeas, exces- 
sive discharges from, and irritation of the kidneys, 
Ac, &c How vitally important, then, that these 
safety-valves of the system should be kept in a pro- 
per condition for the performance of their offices ! 

The Evacuations from the Kidneys and 
Bowels. — The kidneys and bowels free the body from 
those grosser matters which cannot be retained, even 
for a short time, without the most serious consequences. 
And as the discharges from these organs are con- 
trolled by the will, we may say that health, so far as 
the evacuation of the bladder and bowels is concerned, 
depends entirely on our own conduct. It is true that 
our health in other respects, is largely dependent on 
ourselves, but it is more particularly so with regard 
to the voluntary evacuations. Constipation, with its 
long train of disagreeable disorders, such as fetid 
breath, bad taste in the mouth, dyspepsia, piles, colic, 
&c, &c, is often produced in women by neglecting 
the solicitations of nature — by failing to comply with 
the desire to evacuate the bowels. By neglecting to 
discharge the bladder at the proper time, women are 
exposed to some of the most dangerous forms of womb 
disorder, as we shall see hereafter. 

The most effectual method of avoiding the numerous 
diseases arising from torpid bowels, is, to have a regu- 
lar hour to attend to them, and to be punctual to this hour, 
under all circumstances. We know that women labor 
under peculiar difficulties in complying with this 
injunction, but neither false modesty, nor anything else, 



196 OF THE EXCRETIONS. 

should be allowed to conflict with a rule so vitally 
important to health. . For health cannot be enjoyed 
without a regular evacuation of the bowels, and this 
regularity cannot be obtained, except through the 
influence of habit. "When no habit of this kind is 
established, when the natural desire is unheeded, it 
passes off — the bowels become accustomed to the 
accumulation within them, their nervous sensibility 
is blunted ; they lose their tone from over-distention ; 
their peristaltic downward movement ceases ; and in 
short, habitual costiveness, with an innumerable host 
of maladies, is the result. In fact, there is scarcely a 
disease in the whole long and dark catalogue, that may 
not originate directly or indirectly from this source. 
Are we not right, then, in insisting that this thing 
should be attended to under all circumstances ? 

Means of Regulating the Bowels, &c. — In the 
regulation of the bowels, proper diet is no less import- 
ant than habitual attention to the calls of nature. 
The food should not be too concentrated, but a due 
relation between nutritiveness and bulk should be 
preserved. It is necessary to the action of the bowels 
that our food should consist of a considerable propor- 
tion of the coarser materials, so as to gently excite 
and distend them, and thus promote their downward 
movement. But the dietetic habits of a great many 
people, and particularly of women, are directly opposed 
to this plain and obvious necessity. Among many 
examples of this, we will only notice the extensive 
use of fine flour. This, from its glutinous nature, and 
from the absence of the bran, or husks of the wheats 
is highly constipating; yet there are thousands of 



V OF THE EXCRETIONS. 197 

women who live almost exclusively on biscuits made 
of fine — 3 r ea ; of superfine flour ; and with these they 
drink a concentrated extract of green tea ! No wonder 
that such as these should suffer from costive bowels, 
nervousness, and a thousand and one other disorders 
which render life a burden. For the food is not suffi- 
ciently bulky to distend the stomach and bowels, and 
not coarse enough to excite them to action, and thus 
contraction ensues, while this difficulty is still farther 
increased by the astringent effect of the tea, and by its 
torpifying narcotic action on the brain and whole 
nervous system. Many other bad habits resulting in 
constipation, such as want of exercise, the abuse of 
purgatives, &c, might be noticed, but these will be 
reserved for future consideration ; we therefore con- 
clude with the following rules for the regulation of 
the excretions: — 

1st. Let the lungs have an abundance of pure air, to 
assist them in vitalizing the blood. 

2d. Let the shin be kept clean and soft by frequent 
bathing. 

3d. For the liver and the other excretory organs men- 
tionedj follow the rules on dress and diet already given. 

4th. Evacuate the bladder when this necessity is indi- 
cated by desire. 

5th. Establish a regular habit of attending to the 
howels, and avoid concentrated food, and particularly fine 
Jlour: also escheiv the habitual use of purgatives, and 
astringent drinks. 



198 MENTAL HYGIENE. 



CHAPTER XII. 
MENTAL HYGIENE, ETC. 

Connection between Mind and Body. — Though 
much has been written by poets, philosophers, and 
physicians, on the mysterious bond of union between 
mind and body, yet, even by these, the effects result- 
ing from this union are not fully appreciated ; while, 
by the great mass of people, those things are en- 
tirely overlooked. What is the body when com- 
pared with the soul ? Truly, it is a wonderful piece 
of machinery, worthy of the great Architect who 
fashioned it. But then it is only a frame- work of 
bones, filled in and covered with muscles and skin 
— a house in which we — the immortal Soul, and the 
vital animating Spieit — live. The eyes are the 
windows out of which we look ; the ear, nose, tongue, 
and skin are our intelligencers and sentinels placed 
on the outposts of our spiritual domain ; the muscles 
are our carriers ; and the nerves are our telegraphic 
messengers by which we communicate with the 
external world, and our own ivorld within. The soul, 
then, with all its faculties and affections, is the life, 
the essence, the moving -power, and the governor of 
the body. Is it strange, then, that the physical frame 
should vibrate to every touch of the spiritual chords 
which move it ? Is it strange that the passions and 
emotions of the mind should powerfully influence the 
body ? And is it not passing strange that this mighty 
controlling power should be so much overlooked in 
our efforts to prevent and cure physical disease? 



MENTAL HYGIENE. 199 

Influence of the Mind in Woman. 

The controlling influence of the mind is a subject 
that should be studied by all, but it commends itself 
with peculiar force to woman : her physical organiza- 
tion is naturally more delicate than that of man, and 
this natural delicacy has been much increased by the 
enervating habits of civilized life — her feelings are 
naturally acute and impressible, and this inherent 
mental condition has been nursed into a morbid sen- 
sitiveness under the unnatural social influences by 
which she is surrounded. Hence her feelings are 
easily excited, and they act with terrible energy on 
her feeble and sensitive body, and the latter reacting 
on the former, such a commotion is often produced 
that the frail tabernacle in which she dwells is pros- 
trated and destroyed. Other considerations, involving 
the health and happiness of their posterity, might be 
adduced for the purpose of attracting the attention of 
women to this subject, but let this suffice for the pre- 
sent : with this single remark — Of all human beings, 
women are under the greatest, the most sacred, obli- 
gation to obey all the laws of health, and especially 
the laws of mental hygiene ; the incentives to this are 
to be found in the love of life ; and in that deep, abid- 
ing, soul-absorbing MATERNAL love, which is sweeter 
than life, and stronger than death. 

The Different Passions, and the manner in 
which they Act. — It would require a volume to pass 
in review all the mental faculties and moral feelings, 
and to show how they affect the health ; we shall 
therefore confine ourselves to the stronger passions, 



200 MENTAL HYGIENE. 

and more particularly those which, are most likely to 
sway the breast of woman. The passions may be 
divided into two great classes — the elevating and the 
depressing. Among the former are love, veneration, 
faith, and hope. Envy, jealousy, fear, grief, remorse, 
and other dark, malevolent passions, belong to the 
latter class. 

The Ruling Passion. 

Love, in its various manifestations, is the ruling 
passion of the world, and its native home seems to be 
in the warm, tender heart of woman ; of whom it has 
been truly said, in contrast with man — 

u Man's love is of man's life a thing apart — 
"Tis woman's whole existence." 

"When this mighty passion is duly controlled ; when 
it is fixed on a worthy object ; when it finds exercise 
in that benevolence and philanthropy which prompts 
tis to "do good to all as we have opportunity;" when 
it shows itself in veneration to the great Creator, and 
that religious devotion which produces obedience to 
his commandments — it is the most holy, inspiring, 
elevating, life-giving feeling that can possibly animate 
the human heart. But the highest and purest enjoy- 
ments that this earth offers to woman are found in her 
domestic and conjugal relations. Here that deep, un- 
told, and unfathomable love which lives alone in the 
heart of a mother, finds delightful and healthful em- 
ployment in nurturing and training her offspring: 
here, when the silken cord of love binds her willing 
heart to one who is worthy of the treasure committed 
to his keeping, she feels that this is 



MENTAL HYGIENE. 201 

" The best, the brightest boon the heart e'er knew — 
Of all life's sweets, the very sweetest yet !" 

But ah ! should " love's young dream" be blighted — 
should this love to hatred turn, should all her treasure 
on a die be thrown, and — lost! who can tell the pangs 
and tortures to which she is exposed ? 

Dangers to which Women are Exposed. 

As society now exists, women, and especially the 
young, are peculiarly liable to the dangers at which 
we have hinted. Their young affections, like the ivy, 
naturally seek for some object around which they 
may twine ; and as these natural feelings are stimu- 
lated into a forced and precocious development, by 
reading works of fiction, attending balls, plays, &c, 
while the judgment and the higher reasoning faculties 
are neglected, there is very great danger that they will 
fix themselves on some unworthy object, thus bring- 
ing misery and ruin for life, should the misguided 
attachment unfortunately result in marriage. But, 
admitting the object to be worthy, young ladies are 
yet subject to another great danger — unrequited love. 
Society has decreed that a woman shall not tell her 
love, that she would disgrace her sex by giving any 
intimation of her feelings until she is wooed ; and thus 
is she compelled to hide within her breast a secret 
passion, to > 

" Let concealment, like a worm i' th* bud, 
Feed on her damask cheek." 

A great pity it is that women should be subjected 
to such evils and disadvantages ; but as this state of 
things cannot well be remedied, young women should 



202 MENTAL HYGIENE. 

guard their hearts carefully against the entrance of a 
passion which may wreck their whole constitution, 
physical, mental, and moral, should it be unrecipro- 
cated, or placed on an unworthy object. 

Works of Fiction, Theatres, &c. 

Allusion has been made to works of fiction, theatres, 
balls, &c. ; but we cannot thus slightly pass these 
things without giving a solemn emphatic warning 
against them. 'Tis true that all fictitious reading is 
not injurious alike; some imaginative works are 
founded in nature, are true to life, and they inculcate, 
in a beautiful and forcible manner, a sound moral.- 
But while this is true of a comparatively small por- 
tion, the great mass give false and exaggerated views 
of life ; they cultivate the ideal at the expense of the 
actual ; they nurse the emotional to the injury of the 
intellectual ; and they cause a premature development 
of those feelings which should be repressed and con- 
trolled, until the higher mental faculties can keep 
them within the bounds of health and good morals. 
These remarks apply more particularly to the extra- 
vagant romances which compose the great mass of the 
" light literature" of the day. In these works, love 
at first sight, elopements, and all kinds of follies are 
displayed in a manner well calculated to mislead the 
young mind, and to destroy that mental and moral 
equilibrium which is absolutely essential to health 
and happiness. And often, too often, good and evil 
are confounded, virtue and chastity are slyly or openly 
ridiculed and reproached, vice and libertinism are- 
gilded and rewarded, while purity and constancy are 



MENTAL HYGIENE. 20& 

debased by making them yield to seductions which 
are represented as irresistible, and therefore justifiable. 
The above remarks apply, with slight modification, to 
the theatre and the ball-room, and therefore we need 
not enlarge on these. We can only say to our readers, 
as they value moral purity, as they value peace of- 
mind, as they value health and happiness — shun all 
these things ! 

Consolations of Religion. 

And should misfortune still overtake them, through 
the operation of causes over which they have no con- 
trol, they will then have the sweet consciousness of 
having done all that they could; and then, with the 
unwavering faith and the undying hope which God 
gives to the trusting and the dutiful, they may enjoy 
that peace which "the world can neither give nor take 
away" — that calm sunshine — that sweet serenity of 
mind which no cloud can obscure, and no storm dis- 
turb. This, this is the antidote to envy, jealousy, 
fear, grief, remorse, and all those blighting withering 
passions which, like a simoom, dry the fountains of 
life, and breed disease and death. This will give 
healthful and vigorous exercise to all the higher 
passions of our nature, while the baser will be so 
controlled that all may act harmoniously for the 
accomplishment of the great purposes for which they 
were designed. This, in short, will give that self-con- 
trol which is absolutely essential to our mental, moral,. 
and physical health — that self-control which is neces- 
sary to our own happiness, and the happiness of those 
with whom we stand connected — that self-control 



204 MENTAL HYGIENE. 

which, is the highest duty of all, and the most sacred 
obligation of mothers, to whom are committed the spirit- 
ual and the physical, the temporal and eternal interests 
of their offspring. 

Influence of the depressing Passions. 

When we speak of the depressing passions as dry- 
ing up and poisoning the fountains of life, we deal in 
no idle fancies, for this is the actual effect of anger, 
grief ; fear, &c. Violent anger or grief, or any strong 
depressing mental influence, will arrest the secretion 
of the gastric juice, and stop digestion: fear will relax 
the bowels, and grief and anger suppress the milk or 
render it poisonous to the infant. Numberless exam- 
ples of this might be adduced, but we only give one 
from Dr. Bedford of New York. A little child, 
afflicted with purging and convulsions, was brought 
to him, and on questioning the mother, he ascertained 
distinctly that the diseases of the child were caused 
by the mother's grief, originating in a report that her 
husband had been lost at sea. In view of these facts, 
which might be multiplied almost indefinitely, how 
cautious should nursing mothers be in the regulation 
and control of their passions ! There can be no doubt 
that thousands of children are annually hurried to the 
grave through thoughtless violations of the laws of 
health on the part of mothers. The influence of the 
passions over digestion might be illustrated by exam- 
ples equally striking ; so manifest is this, that it did 
not fail to attract the notice of the great poet of 
nature, Shakspeare : when Wolsey was detected in his 
intrigues, by certain papers which fell into the hands 



MENTAL HYGIENE. 20-5 

of the king, he is represented as handing them to the 
guilty cardinal and addressing him thus — 

"Read over this; and, after, this; and then 
To breakfast, with what appetite you have." 

Elevating Passions— Amusements— Religion, &c. 

Such are some of the physical effects of the depress- 
ing passions. Faith (which has • much more to do 
with the heart than the brain), hope, cheerfulness,. and 
all their smiling train, promote digestion, favor the 
free circulation of the blood, diffuse and equalize the 
nervous influence, bring quiet refreshing sleep, im- 
prove the complexion, make all the secretions pure 
and healthy, and in short, build up, sustain, and pro- 
tect the whole mental and physical organization. 
These passions or feelings should be cultivated, then, 
as a duty — a duty which has the promise of the 
" life that now is, and of that which is to come" For 
the purpose of promoting cheerfulness, with all its 
attendant benefits, innocent amusements are commend- 
able and desirable. We have no sympathy with 
those who condemn all amusements as alike sinful, 
and who render religion repulsive by their austere 
manners and long faces. Cheerfulness as naturally 
results from true religion as light from the sun ; and 
while this religion forbids foolish levity and sinful 
amusements, it gives that sweet serenity of mind 
which imparts the highest zest to the lawful enjoy- 
ments of life. Through false religious prejudices, 
but much more, perhaps, through the eager desire 
for wealth and fame, amusement and relaxation are 
too much neglected by the American people. This 

18 



206 MENTAL HYGIENE. 

is more particularly true of men, with whom we have 
nothing to do at present, only so far as they stand 
-connected with those for whom we write. If mothers 
and wives would secure their own happiness, then, 
and that of their families, let them use their sweet 
persuasive powers to lure their husbands from the 
feverish haunts of business, to the quiet fire-side, 
where the cares of life may be forgotten in the relax- 
ations and enjoyments of the home circle : If they 
would enjoy health and happiness themselves — if they 
would make 

"Home the spot of earth supremely blest, 
A dearer, sweeter spot than all the rest," — 

let them shun the haunts of fashionable folly and 
dissipation — let them cultivate those domestic virtues, 
which are the source of the highest, the purest enjoy- 
ments this world can give. 



PART THIRD. 

DISEASES PECULIAR TO WOMEN, OR DIS- 
ORDERS OP HER PHYSICAL LIFE. 

THE PRIME REMEDIES IN DOMESTIC PRACTICE SHOULD BE — REST, 
ABSTINENCE, BATHING, SECLUSION, AND ALL THOSE AGENTS THAT 
ARE SO EFFECTUAL IN THE PRESERVATION OF HEALTH. DRUGS 
SHOULD BE USED SPARINGLY: AND THE MORE ACTIVE SHOULD BUT 
•SELDOM BE ADMINISTERED WITHOUT THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN". 



(207) 



CHAPTEE I. 
OF DISEASE IN GENEBAL. 

"What is Disease ? — As manifest as are the effects 
of disease, it is yet Y^ry difficult to say what is its 
precise nature. The commonly received definition 
among regular physicians is 'that "disease is disor- 
dered action of any part of the machinery of the 
body;" which, being interpreted, amounts to this — ■ 
disease is disease. This enlightens us considerably ! 

The Hydropaths, Eclectics, and Thomsonians seem 
to think that disease consists in " obstruction,' 7 or 
"inability of an organ to perform its functions." 
Some Hydropaths tell us that all diseases are cura- 
tive efforts of nature: — " Disease," says one, "is the 
effort of the system to expel impurities." The patent- 
medicine, Indian, Dutch, and other nameless tribes 
of doctors, generally locate these impurities in the 
blood, a theory well adapted to popular notions, and 
one highly conducive to the sale of sarsaparillas, 
"Wood pills," "renovating resolvents," "life-giving 
elixirs," "phcenix bitters," "universal purifiers," &c> 
&c. Now, in our opinion, all these definitions have 
some truth in them, and yet they are all wrong except 
the first ; for the position of the regulars, that disease 
is disease, cannot be controverted. The idea that all 
N 18* (209) 



210 OF DISEASE IN GENERAL. 

diseases are caused by impurities circulating through. 
the blood, is one of the most mischievous errors that 
has ever cursed the world ; as just intimated, it is 
this that sustains that mania for swallowing all kinds 
of drugs and patent-medicines, which seems to be 
one of our national characteristics. Some diseases, 
we might say many, doubtless originate from these 
impurities, but the only safe and effectual plan is to 
guard against the accumulation of those impurities, by 
observing the laws of health. The fact is, all theorists 
err in trying to make all diseases essentially the 
same, when there is no such identity. Disease may 
be an effort to expel impurities, in some cases ; in 
other cases, it may be a remedial effort where no 
impurities are involved : it may consist in deficient 
action, excessive action, or entire want of action ; it is 
sometimes curative in its tendency, and often destruc- 
tive. 

Causes of Disease. — The causes of disease are 
divided into predisposing and exciting. The predis- 
posing cause is that which produces that peculiar 
condition of the system which renders it susceptible 
to disease. Persons may be exposed to precisely the 
same influences — some will contract disease, while 
others will escape entirely ; or all may be affected — 
some in one way, and some in another. Several may 
be exposed alike to cold, and one will have inflamma- 
tion of the lungs, another sore throat, another " cold 
in the head," another looseness of the bowels, another 
rheumatism or neuralgia, &c, &c. Now, the differ- 
ences in these cases arise from the peculiar predisposi- 
tions of each individual, one organ being weaker in 



OF DISEASE IN GENERAL. 211 

one, and another, in another. The same cause, or set 
of causes, may be either predisposing or exciting, 
according to individual susceptibility. For instance, 
tobacco, in those accustomed to it, predisposes to dis- 
ease, by its action on the brain and nerves, while in 
those not habituated to it, the noxious weed produces 
the most violent symptoms of actual disease, sucii as 
sick stomach, vomiting, fluttering at the heart, faint- 
ing, and even death. 

Treatment of Diseases. — Two Principles. — The 
various sects that compose the medical world may be 
divided into two classes : — the leading principle of 
one is "that like cures like:" the other acts on the 
principle that "contraries cure contraries" To the 
first class belong the Homoeopaths, who contend that 
any remedy that will produce a certain set of symp- 
toms in a well person, will cure a disease with the 
same symptoms. They also act on the absurd assump- 
tion that the smaller the dose, the greater the effect. This 
system has the advantage of being the least dangerous 
of all, but it is so contrary to reason and common 
sense, that it could have originated only in a fanciful 
brain. All the rest of the medical world may be 
considered as belonging to the contrary or Allopathic 
school. For, though the Hydropaths deny the "soft 
impeachment," yet it is plain that they are governed 
by the Allopathic principle, that they so much abuse. 
For example, when a patient is too hot, they cool him 
down with water; when he is too cold, they warm 
him, by the reaction of cold water, or by the applica- 
tion of warm water ; if the excitement is too low, they 
stimulate with water ; if it is too great, they reduce 



212 OF DISEASE IN GENERAL. 

with water ; if lie is weak, they brace him up with 
water; if he has too much fluid in his blood, they 
draw it off through his skin by means of wet-sheet, 
packs, &c. ; and if he has too little fluid, it is supplied 
through the stomach and skin. All this is exactly 
on the Allopathic principle, and it is reasonable and 
right. The inconsistency lies in loudly condemning 
and ridiculing a practice, and then following the same 
practice, in principle. But then they say these horrid 
Allopaths bleed, blister, and burn ; but it must be 
borne in mind that these things are not principles, but 
measures, which are not an essential part of Allopathic 
practice, and may therefore be used or not, according 
to circumstances. This comparison has been insti- 
tuted, because a strong effort has been made to mis- 
lead the people, and prejudice them against a principle 
which is sanctioned by reason, experience, and com- 
mon sense ; and with the single exception of the 
Homoeopaths, it governs and guides all medical prac- 
tice. The abuses of this principle recoil then on the 
heads of those who vent them; and the term "Allo- 
path" belongs not more to regular physicians than 
others. 

The Domestic Treatment of Disease. — The only 
safe plan for domestic practice is to make the hygienic 
or 'preventive agents, and the simpler medicines, the 
principal means of cure. Should these fail (which 
they will seldom do when judiciously used), a skillful 
physician should be sent for. In all the medical 
works that have been written for physicians and 
people, a great error has been committed in failing 
entirely to notice these powerful and safe agents, or 



OF DISEASE IN GENERAL. 213 

in giving tliem only a secondary place. In every 
work on the practice of medicine, and especially in 
every work on domestic practice, these agencies should 
have the very first place, and they should constitute 
the great staples of home treatment, to the exclusion of 
the stronger and more dangerous drugs that can be 
safely used only by those who have devoted a lifetime 
to the study of medicine. 

Abuse of Medicine. — The abuse of medicine in 
domestic practice is an enormous evil, and a prolific 
.-source of disease and death. Besides the patent nos- 
trums so greedily swallowed by our drug-loving and 
quack-ridden people, the strongest drugs are taken for 
every trivial and temporary derangement of health, of 
which most cases might be cured by a day's fast, by 
rest from labor, a bath, seclusion from society, or some 
other means equally safe. Many eat too much, know- 
ing that it will make them sick, and with the pre- 
determination to take medicine to remove the effects 
of their gluttony ; they gorge themselves to-day, and 
take salts or oil to-morrow ; they obstruct the liver by 
gross feeding, and then take calomel or some other 
mercurial ; they excite a cough by wilful exposure, 
and then take opium to relieve it. This is sinning 
against the body with malice aforethought, and such 
people cannot expect to enjoy health, unless Grod 
suspends the fixed and immutable laws instituted for 
our government as rational creatures. 

Medical Books foe the People. — The drug- 
taking mania which may be set down among our 
national characteristics, is caused mainly by the free 
circulation of certain works on domestic medicine 



214 OF DISEASE IN GENERAL. 

among our people, and by the blood-purifying, liver- 
invigorating theories, and other like plausible hum- 
bugs, published in newspapers, by medical impostors. 
We do verily believe that most of the works on 
domestic medicine published in this country have done 
vastly more harm than good, by encouraging the 
extravagant and indiscriminate use of drugs among 
incompetent persons. In almost every household, we 
find certain very popular domestic medical works 
which prescribe calomel, opium, jalap, ipecac, tartar 
emetic, blisters, bleeding, and all such powerful and 
dangerous agents, on all occasions. Through such 
influences as these, infants are drugged, and well nigh 
purged to death, with vermifuges, whether they have 
worms or not ; older children must have " spring 
physic" to remove or ward off imaginary diseases ; 
while all classes, ages, sexes, and conditions are dili- 
gently drugged, in season and out of season, with 
blood-purifiers, liver-medicines, pukes, purges, sweats, 
&c, &c. If, then, you value health and long life, read 
not the plausible and seductive theories manufactured 
for popular use and published in newspapers and medi- 
cal almanacs, neither swallow any of the unknown 
drugs advertised in them. Eschew in like manner, 
all works on domestic medicine that deal largely in 
the stronger drugs, calomel, opium, &c. — that freely 
prescribe bleeding, emetics, and cathartics, and teach 
that every one may be his own physician. Sooner 
might every woman tune her own piano, or make her 
own watches! The only safe books for the people 
are such as prescribe the simpler medicines only, 
unless it be in some rare cases. 



OF DISEASE IX GENERAL. 215 

Water as a Kemedy. — In the article on " Bath- 
ing," under the head " Manner in which water acts/' 
the different effects of water, and more particularly of 
cold water, have, we trust, been sufficiently explained ; 
and we advise our readers to turn back and read 
carefully what is said under that head. Water is so 
often prescribed in the succeeding pages, that a word 
of explanation may be proper on this point. It is 
prescribed, then, because it has such a variety of 
effects according to the temperature, and the manner 
in which it is applied, that it really has a much wider 
range of application than any other remedy, there 
being but few diseases in which it may not be used 
in some form ; and while this is the case, there is no 
remedy of the same power that is anything like as safe. 
We would guard against the impression that water 
can do no harm, for all remedies that have sufficient 
power over the system to accomplish great good, are 
equally capable of doing harm when improperly used. 
Yet we feel no hesitation in saying that there is no 
drug that will at all compare with water when safety 
and efficacy are both considered. It is safer than 
strong drugs, from the fact that the principles on 
which it acts are plain and easily understood, while 
any ill effects are immediate and manifest. Persons 
of ordinary intelligence can see and understand the 
effects of water, but everything connected with drugs 
is involved in much mystery : all the stronger drugs 
are, therefore, dangerous weapons in the hands of the 
unskillful. Some of these, when used by a very 
prudent and skillful physician, may possibly be better, 
in some cases, than water, but we repeat that, in home 



216 OF DISEASE IN GENERAL. 

practice, there is nothing to equal the external and 
internal use of water, in safety, in efficacy, and in 
extent of applicability. TVe know that this is a 
"hard saying" with many, for some cannot believe 
that simple water can cure disease, while others are so 
under the influence of the prejudices of education, 
that they think it highly dangerous, and especially in 
the ailments of women. To such we can only say, try 
the remedy as prescribed, and you will be convinced 
of its advantages; and should any one attempt to 
terrify you by depicting the dangers of water, they 
can be readily silenced by a comparison of the injuries 
from this source with those arising from the use of 
calomel and other things that are daily resorted to in 
domestic practice. Who can count the number of 
chronic diseases, and broken down constitutions from 
this source ! But we do not intend to resort to the 
common expedient of taking a hobby-horsical ride 
into popular favor on the much abused and quack- 
ridden Calomel. T\Te believe that calomel is a good 
and useful, and in some cases an almost indispensable, 
remedy ; but calomel, and all such things, have their 
place ; and that is in the hands of a very cautious and 
skillful physician, who will not lightly resort to them, 
and who will closely watch their effects. Such things 
should be used very rarely in domestic practice, for 
they are far more dangerous, in the hands of the 
people, than water. And what if water has been 
abused by a set of run- mad exclusives, this is no 
reason why it should be rejected by regular phy- 
sicians ; on the contrary, it becomes their duty 
to teach the proper use of this remedy, in conjunc- 



OF DISEASE IN GENERAL. 217 

tion with any others that may be safely resorted 
to, so as to counteract the errors and dangers of 
quackery. 

Manner in which the Warm Bath acts. — The 
warm bath, and all other baths, below the actual or 
relative temperature of the body, act as sedatives; 
that is, they draw off excitement and produce a sooth- 
ing effect. The tepid, warm, and indeed all minus 
baths (see " Different kinds of Baths"), are appropriate 
in fevers and all diseases of excitement where it is 
necessary to reduce excessive action. Many medical 
books teach very erroneous doctrines on this subject, 
and prescribe the warm bath as though it were a 
dangerous stimulant, instead of a direct sedative. 

Choosing a Physician. — Even in these brief 
general remarks on disease, it would be inexcusable 
to omit so important a matter as choosing a physician. 
A physician is often chosen for his easy manners, or 
because he is a "good (good for nothing, perhaps) 
clever fellow," social in his disposition, and tells a 
good story ; some physicians owe their success to their 
fluency and general knowledge ; one succeeds because 
he says nothing, but looks "wondrous wise;" another, 
because he spouts technicalities, that no one can 
understand; another, because he belongs to "our 
party" in religion or politics; and another still, 
because he has "good success;" and we have even 
known doctors (we will not say physicians) to estab- 
lish a considerable reputation by proclaiming their 
ignorance and want of "college learning." The fact 
is, the passports to popular favor in Medicine are 
almost numberless, and a volume of anecdotes of the 

19 



213 OF DISEASE IN GENERAL. 

successful " tricks of the trade" might be readily com- 
piled. A London medical adventurer brought him- 
self into notice, by offering an extravagant reward for 
his lost dog ; another accomplished the same end by 
having his servant to go round to all the coffee-houses 

and inquire for the celebrated Dr. . The eccentric 

Eadcliff exhibited his shrewdness when he advised 
those who would devote a son to physic, to send him 
first to a fencing-master, or a dancing-school. Alas, 
that such things as these should secure the confidence- 
of the sick ! "When life and death hang on the medi- 
cal knowledge of the physician, what matters it about 
his graceful manners, his cleverness, his sociability ? 
of what avail is his polite literature, or his dark say- 
ings ? or who cares to what party or sect he belongs ? 
These things are all good enough in their place, but 
not at the bedside of the sick and the dying. . Here a 
physician is needed, one who can interpret the symp- 
toms of the disease, trace them to their source, and 
apply the remedy. And to choose such an one — there 
lies the difficulty. General acquaintance with literature 
is a kind of presumptive evidence of medical know- 
ledge, but then many are incompetent to decide as to 
literary attainments ; and it should be remembered 
that an extensive cultivation of letters is incompa- 
tible with minute and thorough medical investigations 
— that a physician may " know everything hut medicine," 
as was once said of a distinguished London practi- 
tioner, while, on the other hand, another may know 
"nothing but medicine" Success in practice is a very 
fallacious guide, for many get well in spite of the doctor, 
while others are not indebted to his remedies for 



OF DISEASE IN GENERAL. 219 

their recovery. An ignoramus, by a fortunate com- 
bination of circumstances, through, the influence of 
friends, by intrigue, &c, may establish a considerable 
reputation ; while a man, in every way his superior, 
who relies cast his intrinsic merits, scorning the arts 
of quackery, may starve for want of patronage. 

If a candidate for medical honors has the best of 
all kinds of sense — good, hard, common, every-day sense 
— and if to this are added some general knowledge 
of literature, a thorough medical education, devoted 
attention to his patients, and studious habits, he may, 
as a general rule, be trusted. On the other hand, we 
should hesitate to commit our lives into the hands of 
one destitute of these characteristics — one who deals 
largely in high-sounding medical terms in promiscu- 
ous crowds, and who resorts to other quackisk arts 
to captivate the populace. After all, this thing of 
choosing a physician, generally considered so easy, is 
one of the most important and difficult things in life. 
Dr. Hall says, in his late work " Health and Disease :" 
" Choose one who has been regularly educated to his 
profession, who has never changed his system of 
practice, and commands the respect of the community 
where he resides." But then,. you may get hold of 
an iron-sided old fogy, who has not read anything 
new on medicine for twenty years, and who thinks 
that all true medical science was buried with Hippo- 
crates some five hundred years before Christ. As to 
the opinions of the community, it is needless to say 
more ; we have seen what reliance is to be placed in 
them. The best advice that we can give on this 
difficult point is to choose a physician who exhibits a 
practical common sense turn of mind in the ordinary 



220 OF DISEASE IN GENERAL. 

affairs of life, who is attentive to his business, diligent 
in his studies, sober in his habits, and who humbly 
prays for the Divine blessing on the means that he may 
use. To such an one, pray that God may direct you 
in the dark hour of sickness and distress, at a time 
when life and death may hang on the wisdom of your 
choice; for much, very much, depends on the physi- 
cian. It is a great, and often a fatal error, to suppose 
that all physicians educated at the same school, or 
who practice the same system, are alike in their 
practice. In such a science as Medicine, where it is 
impossible to prescribe any fixed rules of treatment, 
everything, we might say, depends on the judgment 
of the physician. 

In addition to the qualifications mentioned, every 
physician who treats the diseases of women, should 
possess that refinement of manner, and that delicacy 
of feeling, which will secure the confidence and respect 
of his patients, and cause the most tender regard for 
the innate modesty of woman. The . physician, in 
such cases, should not allow any mawkish sensibility 
to interfere with the necessary duties of his profession, 
but what is necessary, should be done as gently and 
as delicately as possible ; and any man who will 
approach a woman rudely, or who will prate about 
the infirmities or the peculiar diseases of a female 
patient, is a burning reproach to an honorable pro- 
fession, and unworthy that confidence and respect to 
which a skillful and honorable physician is so richly 
entitled. 



DISEASES OF EXTERNAL GENITALS. 221 

CHAPTER II. 

DISEASES OF EXTERNAL GENITALS. 

Inflammation defined, &c. — The main features 
of inflammation are an undue rush of blood to a part, 
and distension of tlie blood-vessels. Its symptoms are 
pain, heat, redness, and swelling. Its principal termi- 
nations are resolution, or healing ; suppuration, or the 
formation of matter; ulceration, or loss of substance; 
effusion of water, &c. ; and mortification, or death of 
the part affected. This last termination is compara- 
tively rare, and is not near so frequent as people 
generally suppose. Writers make many divisions of 
inflammation, but the only one that we shall notice 
in this general account is the division into acute and 
chronic. These terms have reference to the degree, 
and not to the kind of inflammation. An acute 
inflammation is an active violent affection, while a 
chronic inflammation is a slower and less violent dis- 
ease. The domestic treatment of inflammation should 
consist, principally, in rest, low diet, avoidance of all 
excitement, mental and bodily, the general and local 
application of water of different temperatures, and 
the occasional use of mild purgatives. These means, 
which will be more particularly explained hereafter, 
will generally be successful, without a resort to the 
lancet and some other remedies, which should not 
often be used except by a physician. And as inflam- 
mation is often a dangerous and destructive process, 
the means of combating it should be well understood. 

19* 



.222 DISEASES OF EXTERNAL GENITALS. 

Inflammation of the Privates.* 

Under this head, we will treat first of inflammation 
of the skin covering the lips of the privates, and then, 
of inflammation of the mucous membrane lining these 
parts. The external inflammation generally involves 
the skin and the cellular tissue beneath. 

Symptoms. — These are heat, swelling, redness, and 
a throbbing pain extending to the groin, which some- 
times swells and becomes very painful. The pain is 
much increased by motion, by the upright position, 
and by pressure. 

Causes. — Blows, falls, or violence of any kind. 
It occurs most commonly during pregnancy, and after 
delivery, from pressure, &c. 

Treatment. — Eest, and cold applications in the 
form of cloths wet in cold water, and frequently 
changed. Should matter form, which may generally 
be known by one point becoming softer than another, 
it should be discharged by making an opening with a 
lancet. But should there be any doubt as to the 
presence of matter, the opening had better not be 
made without the advice of a physician, as the bowels 
sometimes find their way down into this unusual 
position. But this is rare, and a resort to the lancet 
will seldom be necessary, if the proper treatment be 
used early and diligently. Should matter gather, 
then substitute for the cold cloths, warm ones, or a 
warm, soft corn mush poultice, retained by a bandage 
around the body and between the thighs. 

* The term " Privates" is intended to embrace the greater and lesser 
lips, and the clitoris ; all of which have been described in another place. 



DISEASES OF EXTERNAL GENITALS. 223 

Inflammation of the Mucous Membrane of the 
External Privates. 

This disease affects both women and little children, 
but as the general treatment is the same, no distinc- 
tion will be made on this account. It has sometimes 
prevailed among girls as an epidemic, and has been 
very fatal. 

Causes. — These are most commonly cold, want of 
cleanliness, and sympathetic excitement from irritation 
of the rectum or straight gut. 

Symptoms. — Itching, attended with a disagreeable 
smarting feeling, especially in passing water; and 
after awhile, a whitish or yellowish, and sometimes 
acrid discharge. 

Teeatment. — Cleanliness is the great secret in 
this disease. In the first stage, when the excitement 
is great, the parts should be frequently bathed in 
warm water ; and a thorough washing should never 
be neglected after each evacuation of the bladder. 
When the inflammation is sufficiently subdued to 
bear the application of cold water, this should be 
substituted for the warm. And should the inflamma- 
tion extend inwards, injections into the vagina should 
be used. These remedies, combined with rest and 
avoidance of all exciting causes, will generally be suffi- 
cient ; but should they fail, the following may be used 
-externally ; and by injection, if necessary. Take 
sugar of lead a tea-spoonful, put it into a half pint of 
water, and then add a tablespoonful of laudanum. Use 
warm or cold, according to the feelings. Should the 
disease become chronic and obstinate, inject the follow- 
ing : Nitrate of silver, ten grains ; water, one ounce. 



224 DISEASES OF EXTERNAL GENITALS. 

Itching of the Privates. 

This disorder is very similar to the one last 
described, and is really a symptom rather than a 
distinct disease ; but it is a symptom of sufficient 
importance to merit a separate consideration. 

Symptoms. — Intolerable itching, attended with a 
burning, smarting, and disagreeable sore feeling. 
Through sympathy, and through the desire to rub 
the parts, which is almost irresistible, the sexual feel- 
ins; is sometimes so much excited as to render seclu- 

o 

sion necessary, while the unfortunate sufferer is tor- 
mented in a way that is revolting to modesty. 

Causes. — The principal of these are pregnancy, 
want of cleanliness, and diseases of the womb. 

Treatment. — Follow pretty much the course direct- 
ed in the preceding affection. If the irritation is 
great, warm water should be used at first, and con- 
tinued, if it gives more relief than cold water, which 
will generally be the case. A solution of borax has 
been recommended by the late distinguished Dr. 
Dewees ; but water will generally be sufficient, unless 
the disorder is caused by disease of the womb or 
rectum. In these cases, the treatment must have 
reference mostly to the original disease, while the- 
washing and other remedies prescribed may still be 
used as palliatives. The desire to scratch should be 
resisted if possible ; the diet should be of the lightest 
kind, to the exclusion of all meats, tea, and coffee ; all 
stimulating drinks should be avoided ; and also every- 
thing calculated to favor the train of ideas excited by 
the disease. Should these remedies fail, it is highly 



DISEASES OF EXTERNAL GENITALS. 225 

probable that tlie disorder is sympathetic of some 
disease of the womb or rectum, and a physician should 
be consulted. 

Tumors of the External Privates. 

Any kind of swelling is sometimes called a tunior, 
but this term is most commonly applied to an indo- 
lent painless swelling or "lump" enveloped in a thin 
membrane or cyst. Wens are a familiar example of 
this kind of tumor. Besides these, the privates are 
sometimes affected with oozing and warty tumors; 
and a very painful little teat occasionally arises at the 
mouth of the opening leading from the bladder. None 
of these affections can be managed in domestic prac- 
tice, but much pain may be avoided by learning to 
recognise the vascular tumor at the orifice of the urethra. 

Symptoms. — Severe and constant pain at the exter- 
nal privates, increased to agony on motion or contact ; 
a sense of weight and bearing down ; a frequent desire 
to evacuate the bladder, and scalding. On a close 
examination, a small tumor, the size of a pea, or 
larger, may be seen at the orifice of the urethra, or 
opening from the bladder. 

Tkeatment. — For this, and all the other tumors, 
send for a physician or surgeon. 

Deformities of the Privates. 

Everything under this head of course requires the 
attention of a physician ; but some of the principal 
malformations will be noticed, so that unnecessary 
anxiety of mind may be prevented in some cases, 
while life may be saved in others, by the knowledge 
thus communicated. 




226 disorders of the vagina and womb. 

Union of the Lips of the Privates — Enlarged 
Clitoris, &c. — The lips of the privates may be united 
only in part, or throughout their whole length. This 
union may exist in girls at birth, or it may occur in 
older persons from inflammation, &c. When the 
union is complete, the flow of urine is prevented, and 
the assistance of a physician should be obtained with- 
out delay. Should the flow of urine not be inter- 
rupted, difficulty may still arise when the period for 
menstruation arrives. 

Excessive development of the nymphse or internal lips 
of the privates, is quite common in some countries, 
but as it is unattended with danger, it is only men- 
tioned to remove any fears that may be excited by its 
presence. Enlargement of the clitoris is very rare, and 
need not detain us. 



CHAPTER III. 

FUNCTIONAL DISORDERS OF THE VAGINA AND 
WOMB— THE MENSTRUAL LIFE OF WOMAN. 

All diseases may be divided into functional and 
organic. Functional diseases are those that give rise 
to various disturbances in the system, but which 
produce no manifest change in the structure of the 
parts affected. Organic diseases, on the contrary, are 
attended by various changes of structure, which will 
be noticed in another chapter. 



DISORDERS OF THE VAGINA AND WOMB. 227 

Leucorrhocsa or "Whites." 

Nature of the Disease. — By some writers whites 
is attributed to debility and relaxation of the mucous 
membrane of the vagina, and sometimes to a similar 
condition of the mucous membrane of the womb. But 
while this may be true in some cases, there can be no 
doubt that the great majority of cases of this disease 
originate from inflammation or irritation of the mu- 
cous membrane lining the vagina ; while some cases 
have their origin in an inflammation of the mucous 
membrane lining the womb. So that this is really 
more an organic than a functional disease. This inflam- 
mation of the mucous membrane of the vagina and 
womb may be either acute or chronic ; but the latter 
form is much the more common. 

Causes. — These will be carefully considered, because 
a knowledge of the causes will suggest the means of 
prevention and cure. Among the numerous causes 
mentioned by writers, we only enumerate — a seden- 
tary life, frequent child-bearing, reading works calcu- 
lated to act on the sexual feelings, too early marriages, 
solitary pleasures, foot-stoves, stimulating food and 
drinks, want of cleanliness, exposure to cold, mental 
emotion, and sympathy with the rectum. Some of 
these causes merit a more particular consideration. 

Women are most subject to this disease during 
their menstrual life, and there can be no doubt that 
the duties imposed on them as wives and mothers 
have very much to do with its prevalence at this 
period. But we are equally confident, that the ex- 
posures alluded to would not so often give rise to 



228 DISORDERS OF THE VAGINA AND WOMB. 

this very common disorder, if women would live^ 
right and avoid the other causes mentioned. If 
women would avoid whites, they must abandon their 
present sedentary habits, and take exercise in the 
open air ; they must pay more attention to bathing 
and cleanliness ; they must lay aside those works, 
and shun those places of amusement, which tend to 
excite the sexual organs ; they must discontinue the 
excessive use of highly stimulating food and drinks, 
and especially tea and coffee; and, in short, they 
must remodel all their habits. But some may be 
ready to say : " I would rather have the disease than 
make all these sacrifices." But, before you make 
this decision, hear the symptoms of leucorrhcea, and 
see to what evils you are exposing yourself. 

Symptoms. — These may be divided into local and 
general. In the early stages, should the inflammation 
be of an acute or subacute character, there will be 
heat ; soreness, itching, and burning about the privates 
and vagina, with a feeling as if the parts were swol- 
len. With these symptoms there is not unfrequently 
pain in the back, a dragging sensation in the lower 
part of the belly, and in the groins and thighs. The 
discharge is at first small in quantity, thin, and of a 
whitish color, but it gradually becomes more profuse, 
thicker, and assumes a yellowish or greenish hue. 
But generally these earlier and more acute symptoms 
are not present, and the disorder is marked, more by 
its effects on the constitution, than by great pain and 
uneasiness in the parts affected. The discharge is 
sometimes sufficiently acrid to irritate the thighs and 
other parts with which it comes in contact, causing in- 



DISOEDERS OF THE VAGINA AND WOMB. 229 

flammation of the skin. And there are cases where a 
Jeucorrheal discharge will give rise to symptoms in 
husbands, that are calculated to excite the most pain- 
ful suspicions involving the moral character of wives. 
And as no false delicacy should restrain us from dis- 
- closing a fact so important to the peace and happiness 
of families, we will be excused for stating in plainer 
.terms, that husbands, by contact with their wives 
who have whites, may contract a disease, which may 
readily be mistaken for that foul and disgusting dis- 
order arising from impure sexual intercourse. "When 
the inflammatory symptoms above mentioned have 
continued an uncertain length of time ; or when the 
disease has gradually undermined the constitution, 
without any prominent local symptoms ; we have the 
following train of general and sympathetic disorders 
resulting from this apparently trivial whitish dis- 
charge, which has become so common in civilized life, 
that women consider it as natural to them, and not an 
evidence of disease originating in bad habits. Patients 
afflicted with chronic whites, besides pains in the 
back, and lower part of the abdomen, and in various 
parts of the body, suffer from depraved appetite, 
from sour stomach, from " stinking belch," headache, 
hiccough ; and in short the thousand and one symp- 
toms of dyspepsia. They are sensitive to cold, 
especially about the feet, while the head is unusually 
hot ; they are troubled with palpitation of the heart 
.and fainting fits, with pains in the breast, &c; "the 
face becomes pale, the eyes hollow, and they weep 
without cause; they become careless, impatient, and 
.feel a sort of languor and dejection, a sensation of 

20 



230 DISORDERS OF THE VAGINA AND WOMB. 

strangling or choking, and an involuntary sadness; 
they are apathetic, melancholy, hypochondriacal ; in 
fine they never exhibit the happy physiognomy 
characteristic of the sex, and are often tormented by 
erotic desires, which drive them into vicious habits, 
and at the same time augment their languor and 
exhaustion." Colombat, from whom the above extract 
is taken, thus graphically concludes his description 
of the constitutional effects of whites. "When the 
discharge is constant, profuse, and of long standing, 
exhaustion and degradation of the constitution are 
soon found, &c. — The skin now becomes more and 
more discolored, the emaciation increases, the flesh 
becomes loose, the breasts are soft, the pulse small 
and frequent, and the breath fetid ; the eyelids become 
bloated, the legs are always cold, and the whole body 
sometimes becomes cedematous (dropsical). The patient 
complains of almost continual colic, and of pains along 
the vertebral column (back-bone), in the loins, hips, 
and hypogastric region (lower abdomen). She is 
tormented with constant thirst; the appetite is lost; 
she suffers from habitual pain in the stomach, and 
from obstinate constipation ; she is subject to nausea 
(sick stomach), eructations (belchings), and acid vomit- 
ing; the urine is turbid, flocculent, and in small 
quantity. When leucorrhoea reaches this degree of 
severity, the patient acquires a disgust and indiffer- 
ence for everything ; her faculties become enfeebled ; 
she is unfitted for reproduction, as much by her indif- 
ference as by the disgust which she inspires : finally, 
moral debility and settled despair, together with hec- 



DISORDERS OF THE VAGINA AND WOMB. 231 

tic fever, exhaust the few remains of strength, after 
having destroyed all that lends a charm to life." 

To this dark catalogue of evils may be added " fall- 
ing of the womb," which frequently results from the 
relaxation produced by whites ; and so great is this 
relaxation, in some cases, that the womb protrudes 
between the thighs, and becomes sore and ulcerated 
from the friction of the clothes, &c. Such is a picture 
of the evils to which women are exposed through the 
manifold violations of the laws of health, at which 
we have hinted. 

And surely if such a picture as this, the originals 
of which may be seen all over the land, will not 
prompt women to forsake the ways of folly, the most 
eloquent appeal that we could make would fail to 
affect them. 

Treatment. — By obedience to the laws of health, 
"by abandoning the bad habits mentioned in the list 
of causes, and by strict attention to cleanliness, whites 
can almost invariably be prevented. And when not 
caused by some organic or structural disease of the 
womb, a cure may generally be effected by persever- 
ance in the above course and by the use of means 
now to be mentioned. A great variety of remedies 
has been recommended by physicians for this dis- 
order, but we have found nothing so effectual as the 
simple plan now to be described. In the early stage 
of the disease, should there be heat, pain, and other 
symptoms of local inflammation, inject tepid water 
into the vagina five or six times a day, and continue 
to throw up the water each time until it comes away 
perfectly clear. This operation is to be performed 



232 DISORDERS OF THE VAGINA AND WOMB. 

with a common pewter or glass womb syringe while 
sitting over a tab or some otlier suitable vessel. 
When the excitement about the vagina and privates 
is subdued by these means, then substitute cold water 
for the warm, and use it in the same way. These 
cold injections, and the other means now about to be 
prescribed, may be used from the very beginning, if 
the disease has assumed a chronic form, and the local 
symptoms of acute inflammation are absent. In such 
cases, in addition to the injections, use a cold hip-bath, 
by sitting in water deep enough to come well up over 
the hips. This should be repeated two or three times 
a day, and the baths should be from three to Jive 
minutes long, but not longer than Jive minutes. Each 
bath should be followed by active friction or rubbing 
on the back, hips, and lower part of the abdomen, with 
a coarse towel, flesh brush, or piece of grass cloth. 
The skin must be rubbed each time as much as it will 
bear, so as to excite it and thus draw off from the 
diseased parts. These cold applications are to be dis- 
continued if the "courses" should make their appear- 
ance, but pregnancy will not interfere. In addition to 
this local treatment, the whole skin should be kept in. 
lively action by a general bath every day or e^ery 
other day, according to circumstances. If the patient 
is very weak or unaccustomed to bathing, the body 
should at first be sponged or washed with tepid or 
lukewarm water, and the water should be used a little 
colder each time, until it is quite cold. After washing 
all over in this manner until the system reacts well — 
which may be known by the agreeable glow and the 
feeling of invigoration after each bath — the cold 



DISORDERS OF THE VAGINA AND WOMB. 233 

shower bath may then be used with much benefit.* 
Each bath should be followed by a good dry rubbing, 
and by exercise, according to the strength. Exercise 
before the bath will also be very beneficial, provided 
it is not carried sufficiently far to cause fatigue. f The 
diet should be nourishing, but digestible, and every- 
thing that disorders the stomach should be left off. 
If the bowels be costive, the diet should consist of 
corn bread, corn grits, unbolted flour, wheat grits, 
.sweet potatoes, with a liberal proportion of good ripe 
fruits, either fresh, or dried and stewed. Should any- 
thing else be necessary to regulate the bowels, have a 
set time to attend to this matter, and inject the bowel 
with a pint of cold water, just before the time for each 
evacuation. 

The sleeping should be done on mattresses. Strict 
attention should be paid to ventilation, so as to have 
an abundance of pure fresh air, day and night. 

The mind has its influence in this disease, as in all 
others. Colombat tells us that a lady, on seeing an 
only daughter about to be torn from her by a fever, 
"was suddenly inundated with a leucorrhceal dis- 
charge." The same effect resulted in a young girl 
who saw her lover killed. These cases teach us that 
all violent mental emotions, and especially those of a 
depressing nature, should, as far as possible, be 
avoided. The remedies above prescribed will be suf- 
ficient for most cases of whites, and for domestic use 
we will only recommend, in addition, simple tonics, 

* If there should be anything about the patient to render the propriety 
of the cold bath doubtful, consult a physician. 
f See chapter on " Bathing." 

20* 



234 DISORDERS OF THE VAGINA AND WOMB. 

in some cases. Of these, the best is the muriated 
tincture of iron, in doses of from ten to thirty drops, 
three times a day. This should be added to half a 
glass of water, and taken through a quill, washing- 
out the mouth well after each dose. The feet should 
be kept warm, but any excess of clothing about the 
hips should be avoided ; for there can be no doubt 
that the custom of wearing so many underskirts has- 
much to do with the prevalence of leucorrhoea and 
falling of the womb. 

Absence and Suppression of the Courses. 

These menstrual disorders are included, in medical 
books, under the head of Amenorrhea. 

Absent menstruation is where the menses have never 
made their appearance. It has been seen that the 
time at which the monthly discharge appears in 
women varies according to climate, habits, &c. A 
case has been related where a s;irl menstruated at the 

o 

age of ten years ; and when twelve years and a half 
old. she was the mother of a child ! But this is a 
very unusual case, and the period at which menstru- 
ation should occur in this climate may be set down at 
from fifteen to eighteen years — fifteen in the Southern 
States, and a little later in the Northern. It should 
always be borne in mind, however, that there is no 
fixed and definite time for the appearance of this dis- 
charge, and that the above are given only as general 
rules. 

Causes. — Absence of the menses may originate 
from absence of the ovaries or womb, in which case, 
of course, there will be no effort at menstruation. In 



DISORDERS OF THE VAGINA AND WOMB. 235 

such cases as these, the sexual characteristics of 
women are wanting — the breasts are small and flabby, 
the body not so full and beautifully rounded ; and not 
unfrequently there is a slight beard on the upper lip.. 
In other cases, the ovaries and womb may be pre- 
sent, and the secretion may take place, but the dis- 
charge may be prevented by closure of the mouth of 
the womb, by closure or absence of the vagina, &c. 
Such cases as these will give rise to violent symptoms, 
from distension, and will require the attention of a 
physician or surgeon. 

Simple Absence of the Menses. 

This term is intended to embrace those cases in 
which the courses do not appear at the proper time, 
and in which the delay is not caused by any of the* 
malformations above mentioned. 

Causes. — These, in general terms, are debility and 
congestion, or irregular distribution of blood. And 
these conditions are the result of sedentary habits, 
indolence, want of exercise, and luxurious living,, 
among the higher classes ; and among the lower, the 
same results are produced by excessive toil, bad air, 
insufficient food, and other depressing influences. 

Symptoms. — In these cases, there may be an effort 
at menstruation every month, or there may be nothing- 
of this kind. The menstrual effort will be marked 
by the following symptoms : shiverings, pain in the 
small of the back and the lower part of the abdomen, 
aching down the thighs, with a feeling of weight and 
fullness in the womb, privates, &c. With these local" 
symptoms there may be pain and throbbing in the- 



286 DISORDERS OF THE VAGINA AND WOMB. 

head, pain in the side, stomach, and bowels, a choking 
sensation in the throat, nervousness, a feeling of great 
weakness, difficulty of breathing, &c., &c. 

Treatment. — When there is no attempt at men- 
struation, and the usual signs of development, such 
as enlargement of the breasts, &c, are absent, nothing 
should be done with the view of exciting the womb 
to action. And in fact, the domestic treatment of all 
cases of absent menstruation, should be confined 
almost exclusively to the improvement of the general 
health. Nature, when she has a fair chance, is fully 
competent for her own work, without any artificial 
aid from " forcing" medicines ; and these are generally 
ineffectual, and often dangerous. If the general 
health is pretty good, it is better to wait and see what 
Nature will do for herself. If there is general debility 
.and congestion, these may be removed by pure air, 
exercise, bathing, nourishing diet, and right living. 

Pure air has already been so much insisted on that 
it is unnecessary to say more in this place — only that 
it is indispensable. The exercise should be of such a 
nature as to arouse and invigorate the whole system, 
and the womb in particular. 

For the accomplishment of these ends, horseback 
exercise is entitled to the first consideration, and if 
the horse trots a little rough, so much the better. 
The bathing should be conducted on the same general 
plan recommended in leucorrhoea. As soon as the 
system can bear the shock and react readily, the cold 
shower-bath should be used every morning, followed 
by exercise, rubbing, &c, as already prescribed. In 
-addition to this general bath, a hot hip-bath should 



DISORDERS OF THE VAGINA AXD WOMB. 237 

be used every month, commencing three or four clays 
before the periodical effort. This should be used at 
night, and should be continued about half an hour 
each time, keeping the water as hot as it can be borne, 
by adding fresh supplies. If there is no effort at 
menstruation, or nothing to fix the time when it would 
appear, it is better to rely on the general treatment ; 
but still, an occasional hot hip-bath will not be likely 
to do harm. The bowels should be regulated by the 
diet prescribed in whites, and by warm injections. 
The clothing should be sufficiently warm and loose : 
and particular attention should be paid to keepings 
the feet warm. Cheerfulness should be cultivated by 
innocent amusements, and useful and agreeable occu- 
pations, and all depressing mental influences should 
be carefully guarded against. A celebrated writer 
recommends culture of the fine arts, the frequenting 
of balls, theatres, crowded assemblies ; and even the 
reading of certain imaginative works, to those who 
have arrived at the marriageable ao;e, and who are 
cold, apathetic, and indifferent ; but this is a danger- 
ous prescription ; and cheerfulness is much better 
promoted by means less likely to injure the health 
and morals. The above plan is more particularly 
adapted to the intervals betiveen the menstrual periods. 
Should there be symptoms of excitement at the 
monthly period, these should be met by a very low 
diet : or even total abstinence, and rest. 

The diet should consist of corn batter-cakes, rice, 
milk, mush, &c. ; and the patient should repose on a 
sofa or mattress until the pain, &c, subside. Should 
these means fail to procure relief, cloths wrung out 



238 DISORDERS OF THE VAGINA AND WOMB. 

-of hot water should be bound to the back and abdo- 
men ; and a warm wet-sheet pack, or warm bath, 
should be resorted to, and repeated according to 
circumstances. The " wet bandage" should be pre- 
pared by folding a large towel, or small sheet, three or 
four double ; and it should then be applied as hot as it 
can be borne, and bound closely to the body by a 
bandage over it. The " wet-sheet pack" is used thus : 
— Take two or three blankets, large enough to cover 
the body from the chin to the feet, spread them on 
the bed, and then over them spread the sheet wrung 
out of hot water ; get into this as soon as possible, 
and then have it tucked closely around the body; 
and, lastly, pack the blankets around in the same 
manner. If the excitement is very high, the cold 
wet sheet may be safely used, but as a general rule 
the warm sheet is preferable. Each pack may be used 
from a half hour to an hour and a half. 

Medicines. — An almost endless list of remedies 
is prescribed in medical books ; but all writers very 
properly place their reliance more in means calculated 
to restore the general health than in forcing drugs 
and specifics. The hygienic agents are generally all- 
sufficient, and those above mentioned, together with 
some of the simpler tonics, are the only remedies 
admissible in home practice. Of the tonics, iron is the 
best ; and of the various preparations of iron, perhaps 
none are better than simple iron filings, anvil dust, car- 
bonate of iron, and Griffith's Myrrh Mixture. Of the 
first three, as much as will lie on the point of a small 
case-knife may be taken, in syrup, three times a day. 



DISORDERS OF THE VAGINA AND WOMB. 239 

Griffiths Myrrh Mixture. 

Take myrrh and carbonate of potash, of each 160 
grains ; sulphate of iron 50 grains ; water one pint. 
"Mix and stop closely. Dose from one to two table- 
spoonfuls three times a day. 

Purgatives, and particularly aloes, are much pre- 
scribed in menstrual disorders, but it is generally 
better to dispense with these in domestic practice; 
and the same may be said of wines, spirits, bitters, 
&c. The best of all tonics are air, exercise, nourish- 
ing food, and cold bathing ; and the best of all laxa- 
tives are injections, and a properly regulated diet. 

Among the medicines, we should not have omitted 
'"steel dust." This is a most excellent article, and is 
made by melting sulphur on red-hot steel, letting the 
globules fall into water. It is then to be powdered 
in a mortar, and mixed with an equal part of pow- 
dered ginger. The dose of this is a pill the size of a 
pea, three times a day. Should it cause sick stomach, 
or act too much on the bowels, the dose should be 
reduced ; or it should be taken only twice a day. 

Absence of the Menses with Leucorrhoea. 

In this form there is a periodical effort at menstrua- 
tion, attended with pain in the back and abdomen, 
weight, fullness, &c. ; but the discharge is white instead 
of red. Sometimes this discharge is profuse for a few 
days, and then diminishes in quantity ; and in other 
cases it ceases entirely; but the former is most 
common. 



240 DISORDERS OF THE VAGINA AND WOMB. 

Treatment. — All the means just advised for the 
restoration of the general health should he assidu- 
ously used. Also the hot hip-bath during the men- 
strual effort ; and in the intervals the treatment 
recommended for whites will be appropriate. 

Suppression or Stoppage of the Menses. 

"When menstruation has been established, it may 
be suddenly arrested, constituting acute suppression, 
or the suppression may be gradual and chronic. The 
causes of acute suppression are exposure to cold, 
mental shock, the supervention of disease, as fever, 
&c, &c. The symptoms of suppression are sometimes 
quite violent, and sometimes but little disturbance 
ensues. In persons of a full habit, fever, headache, 
thirst, and sick stomach not unfrequently arise ; and 
the patient may even be attacked with acute inflam- 
mation of the womb, or some of the vital organs. 
Dr. Churchill says, "the patient is very liable to 
attacks of fainting and hysteric paroxysms." 

Treatment. — An attempt to recall the discharge 
should be made by the use of hot hip and foot baths, 
followed by warm cloths to the abdomen, as before 
directed. Should these fail, and should the general 
excitement continue, it should be subdued by the- 
warm bath, the warm wet sheet, sponging with cool 
or tepid water, according to the degree of excitement ; 
by cooling drinks, low diet, and rest. At the approach 
of the next period the hot hip-bath should be used as 
prescribed in treating of absence of the menses, and 
everything calculated to disturb the mental or bodily 
equilibrium should be carefully avoided. 

Chronic Suppression, &c. — This may result from 
an acute attack, or it may arise from delicate health,. 



DISORDERS OF THE VAGINA AND WOMB. 241 

or some disease of the vital organs, as the lungs, 
stomach, &c. 

Tkeatment. — This should be conducted on the 
plan recommended in absence of the menses; and 
should there be cough or other symptoms of serious 
disease, a physician should be consulted; for not 
tinfrequently the suppression is the effect of some 
other disease, and of course cannot be relieved until 
the original disease is removed. It is hardly neces- 
sary to add that there is a natural stoppage of the 
courses during pregnancy and suckling. 

Irregular Menstruation. — The menses, without 
"being entirely suppressed, may be irregular in time, 
in quality, or quantity. These irregularities are caused 
by some derangement of the general health, and are 
to be treated very much on the plan prescribed in 
absence of the menses. 

Vicarious Menstruation. — In these cases there is 
a discharge of blood from the nose, lungs, stomach, 
bladder, nipples, or some other part of the body, which 
seems to take the place of the proper menstrual secre- 
tion. The treatment must be directed to the resto- 
ration of the functions of the womb, for which see 
"Absence and Suppression." Should there be bleed- 
ing from the lungs, stomach, or any -vital organ, a 
physician should be sent for ; but hot hip and foot 
baths, cold drinks, and rest will generally be sufficient. 

Painful Menstruation. 

In this form of menstrual disorder the discharge is 
generally slight, and attended with violent pain. This 
is one of the most obstinate and distressing affections 
P 21 



2-12 DISORDERS OF THE VAGINA AND WOMB. 

to wliich women are subject, and it sometimes imbit- 
ters their wliole menstrual life. 

Causes. — This disease consists in extreme sensibi- 
lity of the nerves of the womb ; in contraction of the 
neck of the womb ; or in inflammation and congestion 
of that organ. The exciting causes are cold during 
menstruation or after delivery. And there can be no 
doubt that the enervation and extreme excitability 
caused by the luxurious indulgences of civilized life, 
and especially among the higher classes, strongly pre- 
dispose to this disease. 

Symptoms. — These are, more or less pain in the 
back and lower part of the abdomen, and the expul- 
sion of clots of blood ; and sometimes a membranous 
concretion is thrown off, either entire or in shreds. 
The pain extends around the lower part of the abdo- 
men, and down the thighs, and not unfrequently it is 
attended with violent bearing-down efforts like labor- 
pains. These pains, and the expulsion of a mem- 
brane, might be readily mistaken for a miscarriage. 
These local symptoms are sometimes accompanied by* 
fever, headache, hot skin, various nervous and hyste- 
rical disorders, &c. The breasts, according to Dr. 
Dewees, sometimes swell and become tender. 

Treatment. — During the attach, apply hot cloths to 
the back and abdomen, use hot hip-baths, hot foot- 
baths ; and if these fail to give relief, a general warm 
bath, or warm wet-sheet pack, will scarcely fail to 
mitigate the pain. These baths should be used for a 
considerable time, and repeated on a return of pain. 
The sheet-bath is the best, from the fact that the 
patient may remain at perfect ease while in it ; and if 



DISORDERS OF THE VAGINA AND WOMB. 243 

no disagreeable symptoms of heat or oppression arise, 
it may be continued as long as two hours at a time. 
When the discharge is scant, as it generally is. the 
warm hip-bath should be used every night, beginning 
three or four days before the menstrual period. 

During the interval between the menstrual periods, 
all the means already prescribed for the restoration of 
the general health should be used. (See " Retention 
and Suppression/') 

Medicines. — Opium is the principal reliance for 
allaying the pain of difficult menstruation, but so po- 
tent a remedy should seldom be used in domestic 
practice. We have found the following powder to be 
very good, and it has the advantage of being much 
more safe than opium : — 

Take camphor, J drachm; saltpetre, 1 draehm. 
Powder — mix, and divide into six powders. One 
every hour, in syrup or gum-water. 

Excessive Flow of the Menses. 

As there is no kind of uniformity in the quantity 
of menstrual fluid discharged by different women, 
menstruation can only be called excessive when it is 
so profuse as to affect the health. Dr. Meigs savs : 
W I have known a girl of fifteen to use sixty napkins, 
soaked full, for each menstruation, without appearing 
to be rendered unwell by the loss." Every woman, 
then, obeys a law of her own constitution, in this 
particular, and what is excessive for one, is not for 
another. The discharge may be natural in quality, 
but it may be excessive in quantity, either from too 



244 DISORDERS OF THE VAGINA A*i> WOMB. 

great a flow at one time, or too frequent return 
of the times. It should not be forgotten that natural 
menstrual fluid does not coagulate or clot ; and there- 
fore, the appearance of clots indicates that the dis- 
charge is not healthy. 

Causes. — Eepeated child-bearing, and over-suck- 
ling, are considered by Dr. Churchill to be the most 
frequent causes of excessive menstruation. But there 
can be no doubt that the relaxing, enervating influ- 
ences to which women are exposed, from the use of 
foot-stoves, feather-beds, and various other kinds of 
self-indulgence, have much to do with this disorder. 
Indeed, we think if women would obey the laws of 
health, the performance of their duties as mothers 
would not often result in disease. In those predis- 
posed by bad habits, conjugal pleasures, as well as 
maternal duties, may become an exciting cause. 
Excessive menstruation renders women very liable to 
miscarriages and falling of the womb. 

Treatment. — As soon as the flow becomes exces- 
sive, or is likely to do so, the patient should lie down 
on a mattress or sofa, in a cool, well-aired room, and 
she should remain perfectly quiet until all threatening 
symptoms have passed off. If this does not check 
the discharge sufficiently, she may use cooling acid 
drinks, such as lemonade, vinegar and water, cream 
of tartar dissolved in water, &c. Cold drinks may be 
taken freely from the beginning, without the acids, to 
the exclusion of coffee, tea, and all warm stimulating 
drinks. Should the discharge become very profuse, 
cold cloths may be safely applied to the lower part 
pf the belly, and frequently changed. Cold water 



DISEASES OF THE VAGINA AND WOMB. 245 

may also be injected into the vagina ; but these reme- 
dies will seldom be required. During the interval, 
the means of restoring the general health should be 
attended to. In short, the general plan recommended 
in "whites" and "green sickness" will be appropriate. 
Medicines. — Besides the acid drinks prescribed, 
ten drops of elixir vitriol may be taken, adding a 
sufficient quantity of sweetened water to make an 
agreeable drink. This should be taken through a 
quill. Ten drops of this, or the same quantity of 
muriated tincture of iron ; may also be taken three 
times a day, during the intervals, with advantage. 
Cold witch-hazel tea, during the attack, is a valuable 
and safe domestic remedy. 

Effects of Disordered Menstruation. 

There is nothing that will produce so many general 
derangements, and such multiplied aches and pains, as 
diseases of the womb. Even the milder functional 
disorders that we have been considering, give rise to 
the following train of symptoms : pain in the head, 
sometimes across the forehead, sometimes on one side, 
and often in the back part ; pain under the left breast 
occupjdng a small space, in the region of the heart ; 
pain in the back, and region of the womb ; tightness 
across the breast, with a choking sensation like a ball 
in the throat ; pain under the short ribs ; colic pains 
in the lower bowels ; nervous pains over the whole 
abdomen ; pain in the kidneys, and difficulty in pass- 
ing water. Besides these we have that serious impair- 
ment of the general health called 

21* 



246 DISEASES OF THE VAGINA AND WOMB. 

Chlorosis or Green Sickness. 

Causes. — Green sickness is generally connected 
■with the various disorders of menstruation, and par- 
ticularly absent; suppressed, and profuse menstruation. 
The indolent and luxurious habits of the wealthy, and 
the excessive labors and insufficient food of the poor, 
tend alike to enfeeble the body in general, and the 
digestive organs in particular, so that there is not 
sufficient vital power to establish and carry on men- 
struation ; and green sickness is the result. 

Symptoms. — There seems to be a want of energy 
and vitality in all the organs. The brain is disturbed,, 
the mind is a prey to fretfulness and gloomy fore- 
bodings, and the sleep is broken and disturbed by 
frightful dreams ; there is singing in the ears, specks 
before the eyes, swimming in the head, partial loss of 
sight, trembling of the limbs, nervous pains in the 
face and in various parts of the body. The heart 
palpitates, the lungs pant for breath, the stomach 
loathes food, or desires the most unwholesome and 
disgusting things, as dirt, ashes, and even insects; 
while even ordinary food often causes weight, full- 
ness, and pain at the pit of the stomach, heartburn, 
and vomiting. The bowels are generally costive, but 
sometimes loose; and the urine is pale, generally scant, 
but occasionally profuse, when the brain or nerves 
become unusually excited. The face is bloated, the 
eyes are sad and languishing, the eyelids swollen, the 
lips pale, and the skin cool, clammy, and often cold, 
especially about the hands and feet. 

Treatment. — The most marked and essential fea- 



DISEASES OF THE VAGINA AND WOMB. 247 

ture of this disorder, is a thin, watery, and impover- 
ished state of the blood. And, therefore, whether the 
chlorosis be the cause or the effect of the accompany- 
ing menstrual derangements, the great object of treat- 
ment should be to improve the general health, and to 
restore the blood to its proper condition. This is to 
be done mainly by diligent attention to all the 
hygienic agencies. The patient should breathe a 
pure, bracing air ; she should exercise as much as the 
strength will allow; her diet must consist of ripe 
fruits, laxative vegetables, corn bread, unbolted flour, 
&c. — as recommended under another head — and meats 
in moderation, and especially beef and mutton, are 
unobjectionable ; but all food must be adapted to the 
digestive powers, and when an article disagrees it 
should be left off ; for food, when undigested, irritates 
and weakens rather than strengthens. Water is the 
best drink, for, in these chronic cases, spirituous 
drinks can only produce a temporary exhilaration, 
followed by increased debility. Stimulants may be 
beneficial in removing some urgent symptom in acute 
diseases, but their habitual use in chronic affections 
cannot be too strongly condemned. The dress should 
be sufficiently warm, and loose enough to allow the 
most perfect freedom of every movement. In some 
cases of extreme debility and sensitiveness to cold, it 
may be advisable to wear flannel next the skin, but, 
as a general rule, cold bathing and friction are safer 
and more effectual. Whether flannel is worn or not, 
it is important to avoid all partial exposure of the 
t>ody, and therefore the legs, feet, arms, and breast 
should be comfortably and uniformly clad. (See 



248 DISEASES OF THE VAGINA AND WOMB. 

"Dress" and " Bathing," and the directions for the 
general health, in the preceding sections.) Late hours 
should not be kept, and mattresses should be used 
instead of feather beds. The mind should be diverted 
by innocent amusements, social intercourse, and works 
of charity and benevolence ; and all depressing mental 
influences, high-wrought romances, and everything 
calculated to work on the feelings and affect the 
nerves, should be studiously avoided. Traveling 
cannot be too highly recommended, on account of its 
influence both on mind and body. 

The medical treatment in this disorder consists 
principally in the use of the various preparations of 
iron. Those already prescribed are very good, but 
we will add one other prescription from Dr. Meigs : — 

Take of citrate of iron, 2 drachms; sulphate of 
quinine, J drachm ; water, 1 fluid ounce. Dose from 
20 to 30 drops, in syrup and water, a half hour after 
each meal. 

"We have found the following powder to be an 
excellent tonic in chlorosis and other cases requiring 
a strengthening course : — 

Take equal parts of powdered columbo, carbonate 
of iron and ginger, mix them well together, and take 
as much as will lie on the point of a case knife, three 
times a day, before eating. 

" Steel dust" is also one of the very best medi- 
cines; for the preparation and use of which, see 
"Absence and Suppression," &c. Finally, we would 
remark that iron is a valuable auxiliary in the treat- 
ment of the grave complication of disorders embraced 
in the term chlorosis or green sickness ; but after 



HYGIENE OF MENSTRUATION. 249 

all, the great, the principal, and the indispensable 
remedies are pure air, bathing, exercise, cheerfulness, 
a healthful, nourishing, digestible diet, and uniform 
comfortable clothing.* 



CHAPTER IV. 
HYGIENE OF MENSTRUATION. 

Directions as to Young Girls. — After what has 
been said in the hygienic part of this work, it is 
only necessary to add a few special directions for the 
management of young girls who are approaching the 
menstrual age. Mothers should never suffer a false 
modesty to prevent them from instructing their 
daughters as to the nature of this discharge, for in 
the absence of this knowledge, attempts have been 
made to " oppose the salutary efforts of nature by 
lotions, injections, and other equally dangerous 
agents." And if no attempt of this kind is made, 
the young girl may suffer much unnecessary anxiety 
of mind, which her modesty causes her to conceal. 
Girls of the greatest purity and modesty are exposed 
to peculiar besetments, while their whole being is in 
the unsettled revolutionary state which precedes the 
first appearance of the menses. And though there 
may be no breach of propriety and good morals, yet 

* For constipation and the menstrual complications of chlorosis, see 
•under the appropriate heads. 



250 HYGIENE OF MENSTRUATION. 

the mind, under these natural impulses, is prone to- 
false, extravagant, and imaginative views which may 
lead to romantic attachments, that may react unfavor- 
ably on the physical constitution, and imbitter the 
whole subsequent life. Girls, then, at this interest 
and critical period, should have their minds directed 
to those books which exercise the reason and judg- 
ment, to the exclusion of those which address them- 
selves to the imagination; and above all, those 
seductive fictions :■ forbi illy, 

delicately, and insidiously a waken feelings, and exc 
thoughts, thai modesty and purity would fain repel. 
On the same principle, t! balls, and iscu- 

ousassembh to exert an unhappy 

influence on the mental and physical, as veil as 
moral sonstitution, at this highly impressi 

The "Change or Life." — The period of 
cessation of menstruation, is commonly considered :: 
be a very critical one with women. But so far is : 
from being true in every ::.-: j . that many women vrho 
have greatly suffered from menstrual derangemei 
only 1 )gin snjoy health and happiness when 

3 to perform its functions. It is t: 
some malignant d of the womb are : 

develope themselves at this time of life, hut the fears 
entertained as to the dangers of this period, have pro- 

bly originated from the mistaken popular noti 
that menstruation is a purging of the body from hurt- 
ful and poisonous matters. 

This notion has given rise to the common practice 
of taking pills, elixirs, "life-preservers," blood-puri- 
fiers, drastic purgatives, and numberless other villain- 



HYGIENE OF MENSTRUATION. 251 

ous compounds, far more dangerous to the constitution 
than the condition they are intended to remove. 

Women, as they approach the change of life, which 
usually occurs about the forty-fifth year, instead of 
physicking to guard against imaginary dangers, should 
only more strictly observe the rules of hygiene. The 
diet should be light, unstimulating, and mostly vege- 
table ; fat meats, tea, coffee, wines, spices, and, in 
short, everything of an exciting nature, should be 
excluded from the dietary. If the menstruation has 
been profuse, if the habit is full, and if there is a rush 
of blood to the head, or any symptom of inflammation 
about the womb, the diet should be loiu, the exercise 
active, if nothing forbids ; and the excitement should 
be subdued by the cold wet-sheet pack two or three 
times a week, or oftener, if necessary. Particular care 
should be taken to guard against cold, and especially 
against all partial exposures, such as uncovered arms, 
thinly-clad feet, &c. The bowels should be regulated 
by the use of warm-water injections, and a laxative 
diet, consisting of ripe fruits and vegetables, and 
particularly stewed peaches, baked and stewed apples, 
homin}^, wheaten grits, unbolted flour, corn bread, &c. 
We repeat our caution against the use of purgatives, 
and even of laxatives, except under peculiar circum- 
stances. Aloetic medicines are to be particularly 
avoided. Finally, women at this time of life should 
cultivate the intellectual and suppress the emotional — 
they should seek the calm, complacent, and ennobling 
pleasures of mind, rather than those frivolous and dis- 
turbing enjoyments which are injurious to the health 
and derogatory to that respect which a cultivated 



-9.v? 



02 ORGANIC DISEASES OF THE WOMB. 

woman is so well calculated to inspire at this time of 
life. Fretfulness, discontent, and all gloomy depress- 
ing feelings should be dispelled by the agreeable 
thought that the pangs, dangers, and troubles of child- 
bearing are over ; and that this period being happily 
past, they then have a better chance of a long life 
than men. 



CHAPTEE V. 

ORGANIC DISEASES OF THE WOMB. 

Under this head will be noticed — inflammation of 
the womb ; tumors ; cancer ; and other malignant dis- 
eases of the womb; and displacements of this organ. 
.All these, except the last, involve more or less change 
-of structure, and are therefore properly called organic 
•diseases. 

Inflammation of the Womb. 

Acute inflammation of the womb, in women not with 
child, or in child-bed, is not a frequent disease, and 
need not detain us Ions'. 

o 

Causes. — The most common causes are, blows, 
t alls, and sudden suppression of the courses. 

Symptoms. — Chilliness, followed by fever ; heat and 
uneasiness in the region of the womb, with occasional 
sharp pains in the back darting forwards, and down 
the thighs. The pain is much increased by coughing, 
sneezing, moving, and by hard pressure over the 
■womb. 



ORGANIC DISEASES OF THE WOMB. 253' 

Treatment. — If there is much, fever, sponge fre- 
quently with cold water, or use the cold wet-sheet 
pack, and repeat it until the fever abates : this should 
be used from a half-hour to an hour each time, accord- 
ing to the effect as indicated by the feelings. The 
only additional treatment adapted to domestic practice 
is, a cold wet bandage to the lower part of the belly, 
renewed as -often as it becomes warm ; frequent injec- 
tions of cold water into the vagina ; occasional injec- 
tions into the bowels of water, cold or warm, accord- 
ing to the feelings and effect, if there is constipation. 
Cold water may be taken according to the thirst ; and 
Epsom salts and Seidlitz powders may be safely used, 
if the bowels are very costive and do not yield to the 
injections. 

Chronic or sloiv inflammation of the womb is a much 
more common disease than the form above ; for, while 
acute inflammation (except in child-bed) is rare, slow 
or chronic inflammation, especially about the mouth 
of the womb, is a disease of very frequent occurrence. 
All ages are subject to it, but it is seen oftenest during 
the child-bearing age. Many cases of disordered men- 
struation have their origin in chronic inflammation of 
the womb ; and women, through ignorance of this 
fact, or through delicacy, often fail to seek relief until 
their sufferings become intolerable, and the disease is, 
perhaps, beyond remedy. The body of the womb is 
sometimes affected ; but, as this is comparatively rare, 
we pass on to chronic inflammation of the mouth and 
neck of the womb. 

Causes. — In civilized life, the predisposing and 
exciting causes are almost innumerable ; we therefore 

22 



.254 ORGANIC DISEASES OF THE WOMB. 

refer to the causes enumerated under the head of 
"Simple Absence of the Menses" — "Suppression or 
•Stoppage/' &c. — "Painful Menstruation/' — "Exces- 
sive Flow," &c— and "Whites." 

Symptoms. — Chronic inflammation of the womb is 
a very insidious disease, and it not ^infrequently 
makes considerable progress without any symptoms 
in the part affected sufficiently marked to attract the 
attention of the patient. We have known a case, 
where an examination revealed a large ulcer* on both 
lips of the mouth of the womb, and yet there was 
scarcely any pain in those parts. When local symp- 
toms are present, they are a dull pain in the lower 
part of the abdomen, depression or sinking down of 
the womb, sometimes ; and frequently a mucous or 
whitish discharge, which is sometimes tinged with 
blood, if there is ulceration. Pain in sexual inter- 
course is perhaps one of the earliest and most com- 
mon symptoms. Among the local symptoms may be 
mentioned also the various disorders of menstruation, 
as suppression, excessive flow, and particularly pain- 
ful menstruation. Pain or some uneasiness in empty- 
ing the bladder and " bowels is also a common symp- 
tom. The general or constitutional effects of chronic 
inflammation of the womb, are so numerous as to defy 
description : the principal of these are, pains in the 
head, mostly in some particular part, as the back, 
front, or one-half of the head; deranged stomach, 
manifested by sourness, sickness, stinking-belch, 
"goneness" at the stomach, &c, &c. The bowels are 

* An eating-out of the flesh ; loss of substance. 



ORGANIC DISEASES OF THE WOMB. 255 

irregular, the heart palpitates or intermits, there is a 
feeling like a ball in the throat, change of disposition, 
loss of flesh, discoloration or blanching of the skin, 
indescribable nervous feelings and pains ; and in short, 
all the symptoms mentioned under the head of "Chlo- 
rosis/' and many more, which will never be described, 
from the fact that there is no language to express 
them. 

Terminations. — The most common terminations 
of inflammation of the womb are enlargement, thicken- 
ing, hardening, and ulceration of the inflamed part* 
And when we speak of "terminations," we do not 
mean to convey the idea that the disease actually ends, 
but that the inflammation results in structural or 
organic changes which may, or may not, be beyond 
remedy. 

Enlargement, hardening, and ulceration may exist 
separately, or they may be combined. The existence 
of these changes can only be positively determined 
by an " examination ;" and we therefore most earnestly 
advise all who are afflicted with symptoms of inflam- 
mation of the womb, to seek the advice of a skillful 
physician, should the remedies soon to be prescribed, 
fail to give relief in due time. 

Treatment. — The great objects of treatment 
should be to improve the general health, and to dis- 
tribute the blood throughout the whole system, and 
thus draw off any excess from the womb. To accom- 
plish the first end (improvement of the general 
health) the course prescribed in "Whites," "Simple 
Absence," &c, and "tJreen Sickness/' will be appro- 
priate. A general bath should be used once a day, 



256 ORGANIC DISEJlSM OF THE WOMB. 

but the water should be tepid or warm at first, and 
the shower-bath should not be resorted to until the 
system has been gradually accustomed to cold water, 
and the vital powers sufficiently strengthened to react 
fully and qxiickly. It is best to begin with a sponge- 
bath or general wash-down with water slightly warm, 
using it a little colder each time. With these pre- 
cautions, the cold bath may be safely used in every 
form of chronic womb disease, with the greatest 
advantage, and far more safely than forcing drugs, 
pukes, purges, opiates, stimulants, and other remedies 
so often resorted to in domestic practice. It is all a 
notion that the judicious use of cold water in womb 
diseases is dangerous ; for the womb is not more liable 
to be injuriously affected by cold than any other 
organ ; and the manner in which water acts, and the 
principles that should guide in its use, are so plain 
and easily understood, that any one of ordinary 
intelligence can understand and apply them. But 
the same cannot be said of drugs, which must be 
prescribed, by those not well versed in the mysteries- 
of medicine, in a kind of hap-hazard way, with as 
much probability of doing harm as good. The rush 
of blood to the womb should be checked or prevented 
by short cold hip-baths two or three times a day, as 
prescribed in whites; and the injections, frictions, and 
other means of procuring a strong action of the skin, 
should be diligently attended to. The wet bandage- 
should be worn on the abdomen constantly, and 
changed whenever it becomes dry or unpleasantly 
warm. This sometimes causes a breaking out on the 
skin ; but be not alarmed at this, for it is an evidence 



ORGANIC DISEASES OF THE WOMB. 257 

of the favorable action of the remedy. For the 
palpitation of tlie heart, and the dyspeptic symptoms, 
there is nothing better than the wet bandage. In the 
palpitation, a cloth may be simply wet in cold water, 
and laid over the heart, exposing the breast to the 
air, and changing the cloth frequently if there is much 
excitement, and especially if there is excessive heat 
about the breast or body. 

This will almost always succeed in relieving this 
very disagreeable symptom, until it can be finally re- 
moved by the improvement of the general health. 
We have had a case of this kind, in which the heart 
fluttered, intermitted, or stopped, and cut up a great 
many strange capers, much to the alarm of the un- 
fortunate lady, who verily thought sometimes that her 
hour had come ; the wet cloth, as prescribed, and the 
hot foot-bath, which is a valuable addition, never 
failed to give relief, until the original cause (inflamma- 
tion of the mouth of the womb) being removed, the 
palpitation gradually ceased. Headache is best re- 
lieved by the hot foot-bath, and by strict attention to 
diet, to the bowels, and to the state of the mind. The 
diet should consist mostly of vegetables, fruits, and 
the laxative articles of food before prescribed. (See 
"Whites.") These will generally be sufficient to pre- 
vent or relieve constipation, but should anything else 
be necessary, use injections, and establish a regular 
habit by having a set time to attend to the calls of 
nature. 

Medicines. — Any of the preparations of iron, pre- 
scribed under the preceding heads, may be taken ; but 
purgatives should be avoided as far as possible. And 
our experience enables us to assert positively that 
Q 22* 



258 OKGANIC DISEASES OF THE WOMB. 

they are not often necessary. Forcing drugs, sucli 
as aloes and other things intended to bring on the 
courses, should be shunned as the very gates of death. 

Ulceration, which is one of the effects or terminations 
of inflammation of the womb, consists in an eating out 
of the flesh, forming a hole or raw surface. As we have 
before stated, ulceration may exist without any very- 
well-marked symptoms in the part affected. When 
these are present, they are pretty much the same as 
those of inflammation ; but there is only one way in 
which ulceration can positively and certainly be dis- 
covered, and that is by having a physician to examine 
with his finger and with a glass or -metal tube, called 
a speculum. When an inflammation of the womb 
obstinately resists the treatment above prescribed, no 
feelings of delicacy should prevent women from sub- 
mitting to this kind of examination. And so far from 
hesitating to do so, they should suggest it to their 
physician, should he fail to discharge his duty in this 
respect through negligence or any other cause. It is 
true that this is a repulsive and disagreeable operation 
both to physician and patient ; and we are sure that 
we can enter fully into the feelings of both ; yet, while 
we would fain shun this disagreeable duty, and while 
we highly, warmly appreciate that true modesty and 
delicacy of feeling which are the brightest ornaments 
of womanhood — yet we say — while all this is true, we 
can but condemn that false and extreme modesty that 
prevents women from submitting to an examination 
when health and even life itself are involved. We 
entreat our readers to let nothing of this kind induce 
them to conceal their true condition; for health is the 



0KGAXIC DISEASES OF THE WOMB. 259 

first, the greatest, the most desirable of all earthly 
objects ; and any sacrifices and exposures, in pursuit 
of .this most precious boon, will only increase the 
respect, and elicit the tenderest sympathies of every 
true-hearted man. And any man who is capable of 
any other feelings towards a suffering and afflicted 
woman, is unworthy of the name of physician — a 
burning reproach to his profession, to manhood, and 
to common humanity. We hope, and believe, that 
there are few, very few, regular physicians who would 
unnecessarily expose a woman through a desire for 
gain, or through any base or unworthy motive. 'Tis 
true that there are illegitimate harpies who hang on 
the skirts of the profession, and occasionally obtain 
admittance into the sacred portals of Medicine. These 
speculators in human misery, and contemners of 
womanly virtue and purity, may generally be known 
by their lofty pretensions, their unbecoming familiarity 
and want of respect towards women — a studious mys- 
teriousness of manner, and a pompous affectation of 
knowledge. Of such beware ! 

Tkeatment. — When ulceration has been discovered 
by an examination, the same general plan prescribed 
in inflammation may still be pursued. But there is 
one other remedy which we have found to be very 
valuable. This is a continuous application of cold 
water immediately to the sore or ulcerated place on the 
womb. 

This application is made with a funnel and gum 
elastic tube. It is highly efficient ; but as it could not 
be used well except under the direction of a physician, 
we think it needless to describe the apparatus. We 



260 ORGANIC DISEASES OF THE WOMB. 

mention it, however, in order that patients may 
suggest it to their physicians ; for it is a remedy but 
seldom used. And yet, what is more likely to ex^rt 
a happy influence over a sore and inflamed surface 
than the direct, cooling, soothing, cleansing, constant 
application of cold water ? 

In a very severe case of ulceration, involving both 
lips of the mouth of the womb, we have used it as 
much as six hours in a day, with short intervals for 
rest, with the most happy effects, and without a single 
disagreeable symptom. And this case was two or 
three months advanced in pregnancy, and the disease 
had resisted burning with lunar caustic, which had 
been frequently resorted to, together with all the most 
approved remedies. In this case the mouth of the 
womb was not only extensively ulcerated, but it was 
swollen and had a livid appearance, almost like some 
malignant disease ; and the general health was very 
much impaired : — indeed she had almost all the symp- 
toms already mentioned as arising from inflammation 
of the womb. Yet under the use of the womb-bath, 
in a few weeks the inflammation subsided, the 
ulceration healed, and she is now near her confine- 
ment, and in excellent health — better than she has 
been in all her life : and all this without a single dose 
of medicine. We know that there is a strong prejudice 
against the use of cold water among many, and 
especially in womb diseases, but reason and expe- 
rience teach us that these prejudices are unfounded, 
and that cold water is a safe and most effectual 
remedy even in bad cases of inflammation of the 
womb, as the above case conclusively shows. And 



ORGANIC DISEASES OF THE WOMB. 261 

this case lias been introduced for tlie purpose of 
inspiring confidence and removing groundless fears. 

Tumors and other Collections in the Womb. 

Nature of the Tumors. — These are solid fleshy- 
bodies growing in the walls of the womb ; or they are 
attached to the mouth, or some part of the inner 
surface of the womb, by a slender stalk or pedicle : 
in the latter case they are called polypous tumors — 
in the former—; -fibrous. The fibrous tumors seldom 
produce any constitutional effect, and the symptoms 
are mostly mechanical, or such as are caused by 
pressure; such as weight, bearing down, aching in 
the back, &c. But we think it unnecessary to say 
more on this subject, as these tumors are compara- 
tively rare, and as their management does not pertain 
to domestic practice. 

Polypous Tumors. — The remarks above are, to a 
considerable extent, true of polypous tumors ; yet it 
is desirable that women should know something of 
the nature and symptoms of these growths, so that 
they may seek timely aid when they have the symp- 
toms soon to be mentioned. Polypous tumors vary in 
size ; they may be no larger than a pea, or as large 
as a child's head. They are solid fleshy masses 
suspended by a stalk from the inside of the womb, or 
from the mouth of the womb. 

Symptoms. — "When these tumors attain a consider- 
able size, there is a bearing-down pain, straining, 
and difficulty in evacuating the bladder and bowels ; 
but the most striking symptom is frequent, and some- 
times profuse, floodings. Another symptom of very 



262 ORGANIC DISEASES OF THE WOMB. 

constant occurrence is vomiting and sick stomach. 
When these symptoms occur, and especially "when 
they persist so as to cause paleness, loss of flesh, 
palpitation of the heart, and other symptoms arising 
from loss of blood, no time should be lost in seeking 
the advice of a skillful physician, who can generally 
give relief by an operation. 

Air and Water in the Womb. — Besides these 
tumors> there is sometimes, though rarely, a collection 
of air or prater in the cavity of the womb. The 
symptoms are almost precisely those of pregnancy yet 
to be noticed, and the distinction can only be made 
by a physician. 

Other collections in the womb, as moles, &c, will 
be noticed under a subsequent head. 

Malignant Diseases of the Womb.— Cancer. 

Cancer and other malignant diseases are character- 
ized by a disposition to spread and extend themselves 
by changing the structure of the surrounding parts. 
Cancer is the most fearful and fatal disease to which 
the womb is exposed. It rarely attacks young women, 
and is most common about the " change of life." 

Stages. — There are two stages of cancer ; one is 
the stage of thickening or hardening, and the other, the 
stage of open ulceration. 

Causes. — The disease is frequently hereditary, and 
when there is a predisposition, any of the causes 
already mentioned as likely to excite the womb, may 
develop cancer. 

Symptoms. — These are very numerous, and we 
will only notice the principal. In the stage of thicken- 



ORGANIC DISEASES OF THE WOMB. 263 

ing and hardening, before ulceration begins, the symp- 
toms are such as arise from pressure : as uneasiness in 
standing and walking, a bearing down sensation, 
straining in emptying the bowels and bladder, &c., 
&c. In the early part of this stage, there is not gener- 
ally much decided pain, nor is there much discharge 
either white or red, and the discharge is not offensive. 

In the second stage, or that of open cancer or ulcera- 
tion, the symptoms are more marked. The pain is 
severe, acute, and darting or burning. Sometimes it 
is said to be like knives plunged into the affected 
part. In this stage, there is more or less loss of blood, 
sometimes considerable; and when blood is not 
present, the discharge is thin, greenish, black, dirty 
white or brown, and has a very offensive smell ; so 
much so that it is a source of great annoyance to the 
unfortunate patient and all her attendants. This 
discharge is also acrid and irritating, removing the 
skin, and causing a rawness of the privates, the inside 
of the thighs, and all the parts with which it may 
come in contact. All the difficulties about the bladder 
and lower bowel are now increased ; and the pain in 
evacuating these is sometimes most intolerable. The 
skin is yellow or of a leaden hue, there is slow fever, 
night sweats, great loss of flesh, sick stomach, want 
of appetite, and in short, general derangement in all 
the functions of the body. 

Treatment. — Confirmed cancer is an incurable dis- 
ease ; but much may be done to palliate the symptoms, 
and if the disease be discovered in its first stages, 
there can be no doubt that it may be held in check 
by a judicious course of treatment. And as the 



264 ORGANIC DISEASES OF THE WOMB. 

symptoms are at first so obscure that the existence of 
approaching cancer can only be certainly determined 
by such an " examination" as we have before so 
strongly insisted on, no time should be lost in submit- 
ting to such an examination, if suspicious symptoms 
are present. The grand objects of treatment should 
be, 1st, to remove as far as possible any of the causes 
already mentioned under the preceding heads, that 
are likely to excite the womb ; and 2d, to draw off 
the excitement from the womb. The first is to be 
accomplished by avoiding foot-stoves, heavy clothing 
about the hips, sexual indulgences, stimulating food 
and drinks, and especially tea and coffee. The blood 
is to be drawn off from the womb by the frequent 
use of short cold hip-baths, followed by frictions, as 
prescribed in whites, and by the use of injections into 
the vagina with water cold or warm, according to the 
feelings. The bowels should be relieved every day 
by an injection of warm water, and the diet should 
be of the laxative kind already so often prescribed. 
The body should be sponged all over, once a day, 
with water cold or tepid, according to the feelings, 
and this should be followed by a good rubbing, and 
by carriage exercise, if more active exercise cannot 
be taken. If the frequent injection of water into the 
vagina is not sufficient to remove the offensiveness of 
the discharge, ten grains of nitrate of silver (lunar 
caustic) may be added to one ounce of water, and used 
occasionally. Chloride of soda may also be used in the 
same way, by taking a teaspoonful of the solution, 
and adding it to two ounces of water. The diet 
should be light, mostly vegetable, and small in quan- 



OKGANIC DISEASES OF THE WOMB. 265 

titijj especially if there is feverislmess and disordered 
stomach. Opium and other narcotics are generally 
prescribed in the last stages of this disease, to mitigate 
the sufferings of the poor unfortunate ; but we cannot 
recommend this practice, if it can possibly be avoided : 
at any rate it should not be resorted to, without the 
advice of a phj r sician, and even when prescribed by 
him, there should be great reluctance to adopt a 
course of treatment which, while it procures tempo- 
rary ease, only increases the general derangement 
of the system. Therefore make opium the last 
resort; use it only to smooth the pathway to the 
tomb, and be fully assured that nothing else will do. 
After exhausting the remedies prescribed, before 
resorting to opiates, give the womb -bath as prescribed 
in ulceration a fair trial. "We cannot imagine 
anything more likely to soothe the pain, allay the 
inflammation, and wash away the offensiveness than 
this ; and it is far more safe than opium, or anything 
of the kind. 

Corroding Ulcer and Cauliflower Excrescence. 

These are also malignant diseases of the womb. 
The symptoms resemble very much those of cancer — 
so much that the distinction cannot well be made in 
domestic practice. About the only difference between 
corroding ulcer and cancer, is the absence in the 
former, of the filling up around the diseased part and 
the thickening and hardening, which have been 
described as the first stage of cancer. The most 
distinctive symptom of cauliflower excrescence is a 
profuse watery shedding at first, which after awhile 

23 



266 ORGANIC DISEASES OF THE WOMB. 

is streaked with blood, and finally changes to a pro- 
fuse flooding. The other symptoms are almost 
identical with cancer, and the treatment should be 
conducted on the same plan. 

Falling of the Womb. 

This disorder is described in medical books as pro- 
lapsus uteri, and is one of the most common and 
disagreeable infirmities to which women are subject. 
The womb may descend but a little below its ordinary 
level, or it may protrude entirety, so as to be seen. 
The natural position of the womb is from four to six 
inches from the external opening; and when the 
woman can easily touch its mouth with her finger, 
she may know that it is lower than it should be. Yet 
there may be a considerable sinking of the womb 
without any material inconvenience, and the organ is 
naturally lower in some women than in others. Fall- 
ing of the womb may occur at any time of life, but 
child-bearing women, somewhat advanced in years, 
are much more subject to it than others. 

Causes. — There can be no doubt that the immediate 
cause is relaxation of the vagina and the muscles of 
the abdomen. The "relaxation of the ligaments," so 
much dwelt upon in medical books, has little or 
nothing to do with it, only as an effect. The relaxa- 
tion of the vagina and abdominal muscles is caused 
by child-bearing, whites, and all those debilitating- 
habits of civilized life which weaken the body. In 
short, everything that shatters the nerves and enfeebles 
the muscles, predisposes to falling of the womb. 

The exciting causes are getting up too early after 



ORGANIC DISEASES OF THE WOMB. 26T 

confinement, falls, especially on the feet or buttocks 
tight dresses, lifting heavy weights, straining, as in 
evacuating the bowels, pulling at the cord after con- 
finement, in delivering the afterbirth, &c, &c. A 
few of these causes will be noticed more particularly. 
Child-bearing and too early getting up after confine- 
ment have been mentioned among the causes ; but it 
is our opinion that these things would but seldom 
result in falling of the womb, if women would leave 
off their enervating* habits, and live so as to give 
strength and firmness to their muscles. To suppose 
that falling of the womb is a necessary result of 
child-bearing, in itself, is to impugn the wisdom and 
goodness of the Almighty, and to say that he has 
imposed a duty on woman which she cannot perform, 
except at the sacrifice of health and comfort. Can 
any one believe this ? Errors in dress have also been 
mentioned among the causes. In addition to tight 
dresses, we would call special attention to long-waisted 
and long-pointed dresses as a cause of falling of the 
womb. These long points generally contain steel or 
whalebone, and they crowd the contents of the belly 
downward on the womb, which yields to the pressure, 
having nothing to support it below, except the vagina 
in which it rests. No woman who desires health and 
comfort should ever wear a long-pointed dress. Hang- 
ing a number of skirts on the hips and lo\yer part of 
the abdomen, is also well calculated to cause falling 
of the womb; and for this reason we rejoice at the 
introduction of hoop skirts, which obviate the necessity 
for so many under-garments, and remove, to a con- 
siderable extent, the downward dragging weight. 



268 ORGANIC DISEASES OF THE WOMB. 

Use them, then, of moderate dimensions, and let fools 
laugh and jeer. While speaking of the causes, it 
may be proper to explain a little more fully how 
relaxation of the muscles of the abdomen or belly 
causes falling of the womb. This will serve to show 
the importance of using means to prevent the relaxa- 
tion. When these muscles are firm and strong, any 
one can see in a moment that they must press the 
stomach, liver, bowels, and all the contents of the 
belly, upwards and backwards,* whereas if they are 
relaxed, they will yield to the pressure from within, 
and allow the organs to push forward and press down- 
ward, crowding on the womb. 

Symptoms. — These are, pain in the back, or perhaps 
oftener, weakness in the back, with a dragging bear- 
ing-down sensation, as if something were about to 
come away. These feelings are much worse in stand- 
ing or walking, and they are apt to be most trouble- 
some in the evening. With these symptoms there is 
not unfrequently a whitish discharge, and some strain- 
ing and difficulty in evacuating the bladder and 
bowels. In some cases, the pressure on the bladder 
is so great as to cause a total stoppage of urine ; and 
most cases of what are called " gravel," among women, 
have their origin in falling of the womb. In these 
cases, the difficulty is caused by pressure. " Whites," 
as just intimated, is a very common accompaniment 
of falling of the womb. The "courses" generally 
continue regular ; at any rate, there is nothing in the 
prolapsus to prevent this. The stomach and bowels 
often sympathize with the womb, and there is loss of 
appetite, collections of wind in the bowels, and other 



ORGANIC DISEASES OF THE WOMB. 269' 

dyspeptic symptoms. The spirits flag, and there is. 
often nervousness and general derangement of health. 
When the womb escapes between the thighs, it is 
much exposed to irritation from friction, pressure, 
and from the passage of urine over it, and it is very 
lively to become sore, and raw or ulcerated. 

Treatment. — Should the womb be entirely out, 
and should there be any soreness or inflammation 
about the mouth of it, the womb -bath should be used 
by letting the water fall on the affected part from a 
long-mouth funnel, or from a shorter tube than would 
be needed, when the introduction of the latter is 
required. Yet the tube or funnel should be placed 
close to the womb, so as to prevent any shock from 
the fall of the water. All swelling, soreness, and 
inflammation having been reduced by the persevering 
use of this bath (using the water cold or warm, 
according to the feelings), the womb should then be 
pushed back to its place with the finger, and the 
following treatment (which is also appropriate in cases 
where the womb does not come out) should be 
pursued. Throw up the vagina, with a womb-syringe, 
the coldest water three times a day, or oftener, if 
there is much pressing down. Three or four syringe- 
fuls should be thrown up each time. In addition to 
the cold injections, use a cold hip-bath one or two 
minutes, but not longer, three times a day, and rub 
well, as directed in whites. Apply a bandage also to 
the abdomen, made as follows : Take a piece of cotton 
jeans eight or ten inches wide, and place gores in the 
bottom, so that it will fit over the hips ; then button 
to this in front, a piece of soft old cloth from three 

23* 



270 ORGANIC DISEASES OF THE WOMB. 

to five inches wide, and pass it down between the 
thighs, to be buttoned to the bandage behind. This 
should be moderately tight, so as to afford comfort- 
able support. Whenever the bandage is removed — 
which should be once a day — wash the lower part of 
the abdomen where it has been applied in cold water, 
and rub well. Should a persevering use of these 
means fail to give relief, which will seldom be the 
oase, add as much powdered alum to the water as it 
will dissolve, and continue to inject in the same way 
as when the water was used alone. Should the womb 
still fall out, a sponge of the proper size, with a string 
run through it, to withdraw it, may be soaked in 
alum water or strong red-oak bark tea, and pushed 
up the vagina, after the womb is replaced. This 
sponge should be removed at least once a day, for the 
purpose of using the injections. All this a woman, 
by exercising a little ingenuity, can do herself, and 
she may thus often relieve herself of this very trouble- 
some infirmity, without any exposure. Pessaries of 
glass, wood, &c, are often used by physicians for the 
purpose of keeping the womb up, but nothing but 
the sponge pessary prescribed should ever be resorted 
to in domestic practice. The bowels should be kept 
in proper condition by the use of the laxative diet so 
often prescribed, and by injections of cold or warm 
water with a common syringe. This the woman can 
also use herself by getting a self-syringe ; and it is 
important that constipation should be guarded against, 
for the passage of hardened* matters from the bowels 
tends strongly to force the womb down. Have a 
regular time to empty the bowels then, and throw up 



ORGANIC DISEASES OF THE WOMB. 271 

a large syringeful of water just before tlie time. If 
it will answer the purpose, cold water will be better ; 
but if not, use warm water. Sleep on a mattress, and 
be very gentle and cautious in all your movements ; 
but still take as much exercise as the nature of the 
<ease will admit. But exercise must always be discon- 
tinued whenever there is a great increase of pain, 
bearing down, &c. ; and you must then lie down on 
your back until all these symptoms pass off. The 
great majority of cases of falling of the womb may 
be either cured or greatly relieved by this simple 
course of treatment, and we do hope that neither 
negligence, nor prejudice against the use of injections, 
or anything of this kind, will prevent our readers 
from following our advice. 

Falling of the Womb Backward. 

After falling downwards of the womb, this is the 
most common displacement. In this form the womb 
tilts backwards, and is wedged down by the promi- 
inence at the lower part of the back bone. It occurs 
most commonly in the early stages of pregnancy, and 
is generally caused by suffering the urine to accumu- 
late in the bladder. The symptoms are straining and 
difficulty in passing the urine, and in emptying the 
bowels; and the accident will require the attention 
of a physician. This form of displacement has 
therefore been introduced only to guard women 
against holding the water too long, which they are 
very apt to do from modesty, and the restraints 
imposed on them by society. While pregnant women 
are most liable to this very disagreeable accident, it 



272 SYMPTOMS OF PKEGNANCY. 

may occur in others, and we therefore repeat that 
women should not suffer anything to induce them to 
let the urine collect too largely in the bladder. 

It is in the various displacements of the womb, 
that we may expect the greatest benefits from the 
"movement cure," which includes not only posi- 
tion, but also well directed exercises for strengthen- 
ing, and developing the muscles of the chest and 
abdomen. We have practiced this with great suc- 
cess, in a number of old and obstinate cases. In fact, 
we know of nothing so simple and effectual in these 
troublesome cases. But the details of treatment 
cannot well be given in a work of this kind. One 
of the most important parts of it, however, is to rest 
frequently on the breast and knees, with the hips 
elevated. But at the same time, a systematic course 
of exercises for strengthening the muscles and ex- 
panding the chest, should be practiced. 



CHAPTER VI. 

SYMPTOVS OF PREGNANCY, AND HYGIENE OF GES- 
TATION—THE CHILD-BEARING LIFE OF WOMAN. 

It is hardly necessary to say anything on the im- 
portance of determining the existence of pregnancy 
in many cases ; instead, then, of insisting on this,, 
we will only say that women should inform them- 
selves, as far as possible, as to the symptoms of this 
condition ; for, with all the knowledge they can 



SYMPTOMS OF PREGNANCY. 273 

obtain, they will often be left in doubt for some time, 
although many ignorant people would have them 
believe that there is nothing easier than to decide as 
to the pregnancy of a woman, even in a few weeks 
or days after conception. 

Pregnancy causes a change in the features generally. 
The eyes are said to lose their brilliancy, and they 
are surrounded by a dark circle. The nose becomes 
sharper and apparently longer, and the chin seems to 
be more prominent. In short, there is often a kind 
of tightness or sharpness of the whole face. The 
neck, also, frequently enlarges. The breasts increase 
in size, become tender and firmer, the nipple rises 
and is surrounded by a dark circle, and sometimes a 
thin whitish fluid may be squeezed from the nipple. 
In women who have never borne children, the circle 
is very plain, and is a symptom of great value. The 
taste is frequently perverted, and there are strange 
longings. Loss of appetite and "morning sickness" 
are rarely absent in the early months of pregnancy. 
This morning sickness is sometimes attended with 
a pain in the back part of the head and vomiting ; 
and whether the vomiting be present or not, the sick- 
ness is attended with great weakness, loathing, and 
disgust about the stomach. 

The moral feelings of women are frequently much 
changed by pregnancy, and sometimes the disposition 
undergoes a complete revolution : women who are 
naturally gay and good natured become gloomy and 
fretful ; and on the other hand, those of an unlovely 
disposition become more amiable and interesting. 
Corresponding changes are seen in the intellectual 
E 



274 SYMPTOMS OF PREGNANCY. 

faculties, but these are, perhaps, oftener exalted than 
depressed. 

Some women have a kind of salivation or profuse 
spitting as a symptom of pregnancy ; and others have 
signs peculiar to themselves, by which they can 
determine their condition with considerable accuracy, 
after they have had sufficient experience. 

But of all the symptoms of pregnancy, the most 
reliable, perhaps, are those furnished by the menses 
and urine. It is a rule, with very few exceptions, 
that pregnancy suspends menstruation ; a woman, 
then, who is "regular," may tell pretty well from 
this sign ; but its value is much impaired by the fact 
that many things besides pregnancy will stop the 
courses. Yet when there is no manifest cause for 
this stoppage, and when it is attended with several 
of the symptoms already mentioned, the evidence is 
tolerably conclusive. Still, it should be known that 
the courses may stop, and that every one of the other 
symptoms may be present, and yet the woman may 
not be pregnant. There is an appearance connected 
with the urine that may be readily distinguished by 
any one, and recent researches have shown that it is 
the most reliable of all the signs in early pregnancy. 
The urine is to be put into a glass tumbler, and set in 
the sun. On the second or third day, a pellicle (or 
scum) will rise to the surface, resembling the fatty 
scum that is found on the surface of broth after it 
becomes cold. After the fourth day, the pellicle 
begins to break up, and by degrees sinks to the 
bottom. It is found in the urine as early as the first 
month. There is no difficulty whatever in distin- 



HYGIENE OF GESTATION. 275 

guishing this scum — it is sometimes pretty thick, 
and has a shiny, wavy appearance. And so far as 
our observation extends, it has been found to be an 
unerring sign. Quickening, or the sensible movements 
of the child, usually occurs about the fourth or fifth 
month, and settles the matter beyond all question, 
provided the woman is not mistaken in this thing, 
which is not unfrequently the case ; for the move- 
ments are at first very feeble, and though there 
is something rather 'peculiar about them, nervous 
women and those who are anxious for an increase, 
have been deceived by wind moving in the bowels. 

Hygiene of Gestation, or how to avoid the Diseases of 
Pregnancy and the Pains of Labor. 

Pregnancy is a natural physiological condition, 
and there is nothing incompatible with its existence 
and the enjoyment of health. There can be no 
doubt that the formidable list of " diseases of preg- 
nancy" contained in medical books, and considered 
by most women as natural and unavoidable, are the 
direct result of violations of the laws of health. 
That women suffer, grievously suffer, in the present 
state of things, is very certain ; and however incredi- 
ble it may be, it is equally certain that many, or all 
these sufferings, can be prevented. The means by 
which this may be done will now be pointed out ; 
and, in most cases, we can confidently promise health 
and comfort as the reward of obedience. "We know 
that such declarations as these sound strange to 
many, who think that a pregnant woman must be 
sick, as a matter of course : to such as these we 
can only Bay, try the directions here given; they 



276 HYGIENE OF GESTATION. 

will certainly be nothing against you, and if you do 
not find entire relief, you will most assuredly find that 
many — most of the evils attendant on pregnancy are 
not unavoidable. Pregnancy, though, a natural con- 
dition, is one of excitement ; this is not strange, when 
we consider the wonderful changes in the womb, and 
the extensive sympathies of this organ. The womb, 
which in its natural, unimpregnated state, will not 
more than receive the kernel of an almond, increases 
its containing power more than five hundred times ! 
This vast change, in an organ which is the very 
centre of sympathetic excitement in woman, arouses 
every function of the body into activity — the pulse is 
increased in frequency and force — the breathing is 
quicker — the temperature is higher — all the secretions 
are increased — the skin is more active — the urine 
flows more abundantly — the- mind is generally more 
on the alert — the nervous sensibilities are more acute 
and impressible ; and, in short, the whole system is in 
a state of unusual activity — in a state of excitement 
bordering on fever, With this fact distinctly in 
mind, the force and propriety of the following direc- 
tions can be fully appreciated. Pure air, so important 
in every condition, is absolutely indispensable to the 
health of pregnant women. We have already insisted 
so much on the importance of ventilation, &c, that it 
is needless to enlarge on this subject. The clothing 
should be perfectly loose, and corsets, whalebones, 
and everything of the kind, should be banished just 
as soon as there is a reasonable presumption that preg- 
nancy may exist. Many women bring on abortion, 
inflammation of the breasts, swelling of the legs, 
falling of the womb, and many other evils, by foolish 



HYGIENE OF GESTATION. 277 

attempts to conceal their condition by the use of long- 
pointed dresses, laced jackets, &c. There is nothing 
disgraceful or reproachful in this condition, that a 
married woman should endeavor to conceal it ; and 
those who are prompted by false modesty, or any other 
consideration, to do so by the use of tight dresses, 
will most assuredly suffer the penalty affixed to so 
gross a violation of Nature's laws. The feet should 
be well protected by shoes sufficiently thick, and 
drawers should be worn in cold or changeable weather 
to protect the legs. Garters should be dispensed with 
if possible, and especially in the latter months, when 
the veins are very likely to become enlarged. The 
diet of pregnant women should be plain, simple, 
unstimulating, and rather small in quantity. One of 
the greatest errors in diet arises from the idea, that 
the woman must eat "for twoP But if she eats more 
than she can digest, of course it does the child no 
good, while it does the mother great harm ; a lesson 
which many have been taught by colic pangs, sour 
stomach, heartburn, headache, hurried circulation, 
disordered bowels, a feeling of great oppression, &c, 
<&c. The rule then as to quantity is: to eat j°<$t sr> rnvch 
as the stomach can easily manage, and NO MOKE. 
Every mouthful over this does no good; and must do 
harm; and the dangers of eating too much are far 
greater than those of eating too little. 

The quality of the food is equally important with 
its quantity. It should be mostly vegetable; as a 
general rule, meat should not be indulged in more 
than once a dajr ; and especially if there be much 
fullness of habit. The vegetables used should be of 
a laxative nature, and the diet should be sufficiently 

24 



278 HYGIENE OF GESTATION. 

coarse to keep the bowels in proper condition. For 
tliis purpose, corn bread, corn grits, unbolted flour 
bread, wheaten grits, potatoes, ripe fruits in season, 
stewed fruits, molasses, &c, should be used. And if 
any of these should decidedly disagree by causing 
colic, sour stomach, or any other disagreeable symp- 
tom, first reduce the quantity, and if this does not 
succeed, leave off the offending article entirely. The 
food should be plain and unstimulating, and therefore 
all high seasoning and salting should be avoided. 
Stimulating drinks are also to be banished; as a 
general rule, pure water, and milk should be the only 
drinks of pregnant women. This rule, of course, 
excludes those common beverages tea and coffee. 
These are very objectionable : they are heating from 
their temperature, stimulating in their nature, and 
particularly exciting to the brain and nerves, which 
are too ready to respond to any additional excitement. 
There can be no doubt that many of the distressing 
nervous and dyspeptic symptoms with which preg- 
nant women are tormented, have their origin in the 
excessive use of tea and coffee. 

The remarks above apply with equal force to that 
pernicious weed tobacco ; women who would enjoy 
health must lay aside snuff-rubbing and smoking, and 
especially in pregnancy. Opium and all strong medi- 
cines should be eschewed, unless they are prescribed 
by a physician. Many of these, and especially opiates, 
act injuriously both on mother and child. It is a 
popular notion that pregnant women must be bled ; 
but so far is this from being true that this is rarely 
necessary except in some acute attacks, which are not 



HYGIENE OF GESTATION. 279 

likely to occur if women live riglit. Bleeding may 
be necessary in some of tlie diseases of pregnant 
women, but the practice of resorting to it on all occa- 
sions, without the advice of a physician, cannot be 
too strongly reprobated. The absurd notion that a 
woman must be bled just because she is pregnant, has 
ruined thousands of constitutions; but happily the 
practice is falling into disuse, both among physicians 
and people. Purgatives are also much abused by 
pregnant women: they are rarely necessary, as the 
bowels can generally be regulated by proper diet and 
by injections. Exercise should not be neglected by 
pregnant women, and the habits should be as active 
as the nature of the case will admit. At the same 
time excessive exertion, straining, lifting, and jolting 
should as far as possible be avoided. Women in this 
condition require more sleep than at other times. 
The mental hygiene of pregnant women is not less 
important than the physical. On account of the 
exaltation of nervous sensibility to which we liave 
referred, "all objects capable of affecting the imagina- 
tion should be cautiously kept out of the way ; such 
as tragical spectacles, the sight of mutilated people, of 
the lame, and of all persons affected with loathsome 
diseases. As they are in general persuaded, however 
erroneously, that the sight of such an object may 
give rise to a similar deformity in the child in utero 
(in the womb), they are violently agitated whenever 
they meet with it. Besides, the records of disease 
are full of cases of serious disorders, as convulsions, 
Lemorrhages (bleedings), and abortions (miscarriages), 
brought on by the sight of some repulsive object, by 



280 HTGIEXE OF GESTATION. 

fright, by a paroxysm of anger, a fit of joy, of hate, 
of jealousy, or other acute emotion of the soul.'* 
Contagious and infectious diseases should also be 
guarded against by pregnant women, as some of these 
have been known to affect the unborn child. And 
the influence exerted on the child should be an ever- 
present consideration with those who are expecting 
to be mothers; for though there are many popular 
errors as to longings, "mothers' marks," &c, there 
can be no doubt that violent mental emotions may 
arrest the proper growth of the child, and cause 
deformity ; and many examples might be adduced to 
prove that the mind and morals of the future being 
depend greatly on the state of mind and the feelings 
of the mother during pregnancy. With the view of 
impressing this more forcibly, we will merely enu- 
merate some of the evidences of maternal influence 
over character from Combe's " Constitution of Man." 
The mother of Napoleon Bonaparte is said to have 
accompanied her husband, on horseback, in his mili- 
tary expeditions, shortly before the birth of the future 
emperor. David Eizzio was violently murdered in 
the presence of Mary Queen of Scotland, shortly 
before the birth of her son James the First of Eng- 
land. This monarch was remarkable for his timidity, 
which was an exception to the family character! A 
lady writes : " From the age of two I foresaw that 
my eldest son's restlessness would ruin mm ; and it 
has been even so. Yet he was kind, brave, and 
affectionate. I read the Iliad for six months before 
he saw the light. . . . He was actually an Achilles !" 
Bathixg should never be neglected in pregnancy. 



HYGIENE OF GESTATION. 281 

To subdue the nervous and vascular excitement inci- 
dent to this condition, there is nothing so safe and 
effectual as cool or even cold baths. These baths 
abstract excessive heat ; equalize the circulation ; 
remove internal congestions, or accumulations of 
blood ; strengthen the whole system, and thus prepare 
it to furnish suitable elements for the development 
of the new being, and to pass safely through the 
critical time of confinement. The water need not be 
very cold, and the feelings may be safely consulted 
as to the temperature. The sponge-bath or wash- 
down is the best. The shower-bath and all applica 
tions that produce a violent shock, are objectionable. 
Pregnant women generally bear cold water remark- 
ably well, but they cannot so well tolerate any vio- 
lent impression either on mind or body. The sponge- 
bath as prescribed should be used every day, or every 
other day, from the beginning of pregnancy ; and the 
hip-bath should be resorted to once a day during the 
last month or two. The temperature of this should 
be moderate, and it should not be continued more 
than from five to ten minutes each time. The posi- 
tion of pregnant women is a matter of no little 
importance. Those who would avoid diseases them- 
selves, and the much-dreaded " wrong positions" of 
the child, must carefully avoid bending over so as to 
compress the abdomen. Finally, we remark that we 
have been thus particular in giving directions for the 
guidance of pregnant women, because there is an 
incalculable amount of suffering among this class, ori- 
ginating in ignorance or thoughtlessness ; and because 
reason and observation both teach us that many, or 
all these sufferings can be avoided by a strict observ- 

24* 



282 HYGIENE OF GESTATION. 

ance of the rules inculcated. One example only will 
be given from our own practice, to show the benefits 
to be derived from the course recommended. A lady 
under our charge is now pregnant with her fifth child r 
and is near her confinement. . In her previous preg- 
nancies she lived after the general manner of ivomen,. 
but still much better than many. She has heretofore 
had almost all the disagreeable symptoms of pregnancy,, 
which have been much aggravated by ulceration of the 
womb. She has suffered from palpitation of the heart 
— most distressing heart-burn — costive bowels at one 
time, and the most violent straining and bearing-down 
dysentery at another — headache — swelled legs — cramps 
in the stomach, and many other symptoms too tedious 
to mention. In her present pregnancy she has followed 
the wholesome directions above given, and she has had 
scarcely a disagreeable symptom up to this time, except 
the morning- sickness in the early part of her preg- 
nancy. It is now only a week or two to her confine- 
ment, and her bowels have been regular .all the time — 
she has never been troubled with sour stomach, or heart- 
burn — her legs are now not the least swelled, and in 
short she is vigorous, lively, active, hopeful, and in the 
enjoyment of perfect health. Surely such examples as 
these, which might be multiplied, should be sufficient 
to induce women to abandon their destructive errors 
and their deep-rooted prejudices, and to yield obedience 
to the laws of health. 

This case shows conclusively the advantages of 
a hygienic course of living, in preventing the many 
ills, regarded as unavoidable accompaniments of 
pregnancy. And while due attention was given to 
proper diet and avoidance of all stimulants and ex- 



HYGIENE OF GESTATION. 283' 

citements of every kind, the happy results were, 
doubtless, due largely to the frequent use of the 
bath ; and especially the cold hip-bath, which acted 
like a charm in subduing any symptoms of excite- 
ment about the heart, or difficulty in breathing. 
And yet, Dr. Napheys in his recent work — the 
Physical Life of Woman — says that, " those not 
accustomed to bathing should not begin the practice 
during pregnancy, and in any case great care should 
be exercised during the latter months." 

While we have just mentioned the propriety of 
caution in the use of the shower-bath, or excessively 
cold water; we are fully convinced from our own 
observation in the case reported, and in others, that 
water applied as we have directed, is perfectly safe, 
and one of our best remedies in every stage of preg- 
nancy, and especially " during the latter months." 
A short cool or cold hip-bath of from five to ten 
minutes' duration, will do more to quiet the excite- 
ment about the heart, the headache and difficulty of 
breathing, which so often distress women advanced 
in pregnancy, than any remedy known to us. And 
with all due deference to Dr. Napheys, we must say r 
if women have never accustomed themselves to bath- 
ing before, they should practice it by all means, 
from the beginning to the end of pregnancy ; and 
especially should this- be done during the last month 
or two — using in this case the hip-bath as cold as it 
can be borne without discomfort, in addition to 
the general cold or tepid bath or " wash-clown" as 
already recommended. 

Again we cannot see how " women of a lymphatic- 
temperament, and of a relaxed habit of body are- 



284 HYGIENE OF GESTATION. 

always injured by the bath," as Dr. Kapheys 
declares. On the contrary, bathing with water 
-adapted in temperature to the susceptibilities of the 
system, but as cold as the re-active powers will per- 
mit, would seem to us to be highly appropriate in 
such cases, to give firmness to the muscular fibre, 
and to re-invigorate the feeble vital powers. This 
is certainly in accordance with the teachings of 
medical science, and is sustained by our own obser- 
vation. Neither can we see a shadow of foundation 
for Dr. Kapheys 5 assertion that " foot-baths are 
always dangerous" in pregnant women. 

The subject of conjugal relations during preg- 
nancy is too important to be omitted. As a general 
rule, gestation is no bar to the enjoyments of married 
life, when prudently and moderately indulged. But 
such indulgences should be refrained from about the 
usual menstrual period, on account of the greater 
danger of miscarriage at this time. Caution should 
be practiced also when the wife has previously mis- 
carried, and this caution should be carried to total 
abstinence during the first five months in such cases. 
The same self-denial should be exercised for at least 
a month after miscarriage has occurred. 

With these exceptions, there is nothing in the 
condition of pregnancy to forbid the continuance of 
the usual relations between husband and wife. 

"We conclude this important subject by referring 
the reader to the chapter on Painless Labor, which 
proves that labor is not necessarily a painful process ; 
and that the pains considered inseparable from it, 
are manily the result of bad habits, and neglect of 
hygienic means. 



DISEASES OF PREGNANCY. 285* 



CHAPTER VII. 

DISEASES OF PREGNANCY, OR TROUBLES IN THE 
CHILD-BEARING LIFE OF WOMAN. 

Dropsical Swelling of the Privates. 
' This is a watery collection in the cells beneath the 
skin covering the lips of the privates. It generally 
occurs during the latter months of pregnancy. It is 
almost always caused by the pressure of the womb on 
the veins, by which the free circulation of the blood 
is interrupted. The symptoms are swelling, stiffness, 
and fullness, without any particular soreness, in 
which last particular it differs from the inflammation 
of the same parts described in a preceding chapter. 

Treatment. — Bathe frequently with tepid or cold 
water; and lie down, if the swelling becomes very 
troublesome, until it subsides. 

Discharges from the Vagina. 

The discharges occurring during pregnancy may 
be bloody, watery, or mucous. The Woody discharge 
is caused in some very rare cases, by an attempt at 
menstruation ; for though this function is suspended 
in the vast majority of women by pregnancy, yet a 
few menstruate once or twice after conception. 
This menstrual effort may be distinguished by its 
coming on at the "regular time," and by the absence 
of any disagreeable or alarming symptom. It ceases 
of itself as pregnancy advances, and requires no special 
treatment. The watery discharge is sometimes quite 
profuse, and is supposed to come from the "waters" 



286 DISEASES OF PREGNANCY. 

inside the womb. It is not generally dangerous, unless 
"there are symptoms of miscarriage ; and in the absence 
of such symptoms rest and cleanliness are all that are 
requisite. The mucous discharge is nothing more nor 
less than " whites" coming from the vagina. The treat- 
ment should be conducted on the plan prescribed in 
leucorrhoea, but there should be no great haste to check 
the discharge, as it is not likely to do any harm, and 
its sudden stoppage might cause some excitement about 
the womb. The safer plan will be to use simple injec- 
tions of warm or tepid water. 

Inflammation of the Womb. 

This disease is much more common in pregnant than 
in non-pregnant women. Inflammation of the womb, 
during pregnancy, is no doubt a frequent cause of the 
""growing of the after-birth" to the inside of the womb. 
The symptoms are pretty much the same as those de- 
scribed under the head of " acute inflammation of the 
womb." The pain may be confined more to a particu- 
lar spot. The causes are bad positions, bad habits of 
living, and cold. The treatment is the same as that 
prescribed in the disease just mentioned. 

Toothache. 

This is a common symptom in pregnant women, 
occurring generally in the earlier months. With 
some, it is the first indication of conception. It 
may result from a general nervous excitement of 
the jaw through sympathy with the womb, or it may 
be produced by a decayed tooth. 

Treatment. — When the toothache is purely nerv- 



DISEASES OF PREGNANCY. 287 

ous, it is sometimes very obstinate, and resists all our 
efforts. The best plan of treatment is to adopt a 
rigidly low diet, and to keep the bowels regulated. 
As local applications, the following may be tried: 
Chloroform, one part ; sweet oil, two parts. Mix well, 
and rub over the painful part. Or, take the whites 
of two eggs ; and common pepper, in powder, two 
ounces. Beat them well together, spread on cloth, 
and apply over the painful part. Alcohol held in the 
mouth will sometimes relieve. Should all remedies 
fail, and should the patient be very much worn down 
by pain and loss of rest, from a fourth to half a grain 
of morphine may be taken, which will generally give 
prompt, and sometimes permanent, relief. If the 
pain is evidently caused by a decayed tooth, this 
should be extracted, unless there are symptoms of 
miscarriage, or something of that kind, to prevent.* 

Salivation. 

This is another symptom of pregnancy which some- 
times becomes troublesome. It is not attended with 
danger, and no attempt should be made to check it. The 
TREATMENT should consist in observing the rules of 
lealth, and in washing the mouth frequently with water. 

Longing's, Loss of Appetite, &c. 

In the early months of pregnancy the appetite is gene- 
erally weak; in the middle period it improves, and 
towards the last the stomach is often much disturbed in 

* When there is a predisposition to miscarriage, the drawing of a tooth, 
or any violent shock to mind or body, may bring it on. Hence the caution. 
But still, we think that the pain and loss of rest from the toothache, ia 
about as likely to cause miscarriage as the extraction. 



288 DISEASES OF PREGNANCY. 

its functions from tlie pressure of the womb. There is 
no end to the strange stories told as to the longings of 
women. One writer tells us of a woman who could not 
rest satisfied until she purchased a bite of a baker's 
shoulder. Another, it is said, killed her husband, made 
a meal of him, and salted the rest away. Others have 
desired spiders and other disgusting insects. And long- 
ings for chalk, ginger, spices, spirits, vinegar, &c, are 
quite common. 

Causes. — There can be but little doubt that these 
depraved appetites are caused in most cases by a disor- 
dered condition of the stomach, resulting from bad 
habits in eating. 

Treatment. — Some authorities, very absurdly as 
we think, advise the gratification of these strange 
desires, under the idea that they are natural promptings, 
and that the woman or child may be injured by not 
indulging them. We advise that they be resisted, and 
that the stomach be brought back to its senses, by 
furnishing it with proper food, and by the occasional 
use of a warm- water emetic, if the tongue is furred,, 
and if there is a bad taste in the mouth. 

Sick Stomach. 

This is often one of the most distressing accompani- 
ments of pregnancy. It sometimes commences a few 
days after conception, and continues for several weeks, 
recurring every morning, and then passing off. In 
other cases it continues all day for several weeks ; and 
in a very few instances it continues during the whole 
period of pregnancy. 

Causes. — It is generally attributed to sympathy with 



DISEASES OF PKEGNANCY. 289 

the womb, but it is no doubt often aggravated and con- 
tinued by improper eating. 

Tkeatment. — If there is distressing sick stomach 
without vomiting, the stomach should be relieved by- 
drinking freely of milk-warm water until the sickness 
is allayed, or until the stomach throws off any irri- 
tating matters it may contain. After the vomiting, a 
few sips of very cold water, or small lumps of ice swal- 
lowed, will probably give relief. The hot foot-bath 
may also be used in conjunction with the above treat- 
ment. The diet should be small in quantity, especially 
in the morning, and it should be rather dry. Dr. 
Meigs advises his patients to take a cup of coffee with 
a toast sometime before rising from bed. The coffee 
may be admissible as a medicine, and may be tried. A 
great variety of medicines has been recommended in 
these troublesome cases, such as opium, prussic acid, 
&c, internally ; but they should never be resorted to in 
domestic practice. A cloth may be wet with laudanum 
and applied externally over the region of the stomach, 
or a mustard plaster may be applied to the same part. 
We have given relief by the administration of one drop of 
creasote in a teaspoonful of vinegar, weakened down with 
water. But, after all, the main reliance is to be placed 
in dieting and regulating the bowels. No more should 
be taken into the stomach than it will bear, if it is 
only a teaspoonful of milk or gruel. If the patient can 
be up, she should get out into the cool, fresh air, as 
early as possible in the morning. In the last months 
vomiting is caused, partly by the pressure of the womb 
against the stomach. In some of the difficulties from 
this source, we have seen the best effects from the cold 
S 25 



290 DISEASES OF PREGNANCY. 

hip-bath, followed by a good rubbing ; but whether the 
remedy has any effect in removing the mechanical diffi- 
culty, we are not prepared to say. The bowels, in all 
these cases, should be regulated by injections, and by 
the diet already so often prescribed. 

Heartburn. 

This is one of the most common disorders of preg- 
nancy. In the present mode of living very few escape. 
It may be proper to say that heartburn arises from a 
disordered condition of the stomach, and that the heart 
really has nothing to do with it. 

Causes. — There can be no doubt that the main cause 
is improper eating, the food being excessive in quantity 
or not of the right kind. 

Symptoms. — Heat, pain and fullness at the pit of the 
stomach, extending to the throat, and followed by sour 
belchings. 

Treatment. — If there are any offensive matters in 
the stomach, they should be neutralized or washed 
away by drinking freely of warm water. The stomach 
should then be allowed to rest for some time. Sips of 
cold water may be grateful, but even water sometimes 
sours on the stomach. An animal diet may agree 
better than a vegetable one ; and the rule should be, 
ivhenever any article is found to disagree, to leave it off. 
Women who will follow this advice will generally have 
no difficulty in getting rid of this distressing symptom. 
We have found ley hominy, with enough of the ley 
remaining on the grains of corn to give them a decided 
yellowness, an excellent article in such cases as these, 
and we can confidently recommend it, both for its 
wholesomeness and palatableness. No grease should be 



DISEASES OF PREGNANCY. 291 

used with the hominy. And water should not be drank 
in less than an hour after any meal. Magnesia, chalk, 
lime-water, &c, will neutralize the acid and give tem- 
porary relief; but it is better, far better, to prevent the 
accumulation of acid by a proper regulation of the diet. 

Cramp in the Stomach and Bowels. 

The symptoms of this disorder are violent cramping 
or colic pains in the stomach or bowels, or both. It 
is known as nervous colic, or "cramp of the stomach." 
The pain comes in paroxysms, with intervals of ease, 
and is relieved by pressure. 

Causes. — These are generally some error in diet, 
but in some cases the pain comes on when the stomach 
is empty. 

Treatment. — If there is any offending matter in 
the stomach, warm water should be used, as in the pre- 
ceding disorder. Should this not relieve the pain, or 
should the stomach be empty when the attack comes 
on, hot cloths should be applied over the region of the 
stomach and bowels, and frequently changed. If this 
does not give relief, a mush poultice, sprinkled with 
mustard, may be applied. While these remedies are 
being used, the feet should be placed in water as hot as 
can be borne. 

The diet should be regulated according to the rules 
already given, and particular attention should be paid 
to the bowels. 

Vomiting Blood. 

This occurs in some rare cases, and is to be treated 
mostly as other kinds of vomiting. The principal 
reliance is to be placed in swallowing small pieces of 



292 . DISEASES OF PREGNANCY. 

ice, or in sipping very cold water. Should these and 
the remedies already prescribed in vomiting fail, a 
physician should be called. 

Constipation. 

This is a very common disorder among pregnant 
women. In the early stages it is caused by a concen- 
tration of excitement on the womb ; and later, it is due 
partly to this, and partly to the pressure of the womb 
on the bowels. 

Symptoms. — These are headache, weight and un- 
easiness in the belly, and a feeling of general dis- 
comfort. The disorders of the stomach already alluded 
to, are often aggravated by this condition. In evacu- 
ating the bowels little hard balls are pass.ed, or large 
dry masses with great straining and considerable pain. 
The discharges are sometimes mixed with mucus, or 
jelly and blood. The straining may be so great as to 
cause a miscarriage. 

Treatment. — This is such a common complication 
of almost all the disorders of pregnancy, that the treat- 
ment has been to a considerable extent anticipated 
under the preceding heads. We take this occasion to 
warn women against the constant and habitual use of 
purgative medicines ; for when the bowels become 
accustomed to them they will not act without, and it 
becomes necessary to increase constantly the size of the 
dose, or the strength of the medicines, and thus the 
bowels are continually teased «and excited, which is 
about as bad as the constipation itself. The bowels 
can generally be regulated by diet and injections with- 
out the use of medicines ; and when the latter are used 



DISEASES OF PREGNANCY. 293 

at all they should be of the mildest kind, and should 
be resorted to only to relieve some urgent symptom. 
The diet should consist mostly of corn bread, potatoes, 
ripe fruits, baked apples, stewed fruits, unbolted flour 
bread, wkeaten grits, &c, &c. From a half pint to a 
pint of warm water should be thrown up the bowels 
just before each evacuation, and there should be a 
regular time for this. If purgatives are used at all, 
they should consist of magnesia, rhubarb, castor oil, 
&c. A wine-glassful of the following mixture may be 
taken every night, or every morning, according to the 
time fixed for evacuating the bowels: Epsom salts, 
one ounce; cream of tartar, two drachms; boiling water, 
two pints. This may be kept in a bottle, and is an 
excellent artificial mineral water and laxative. If pills 
be preferred the following may be taken : Compound 
extract of colocynth, two scruples ; castile soap, half a 
drachm; oil anise, cinnamon, or cloves, two drops. 
Make eight pills with syrup. Dose, two or three as 
above. 

Piles. 

This is another very troublesome affection, and is 
generally occasioned or much aggravated by the con- 
stipation of which we have just been speaking. 

The treatment consists in attention to the bowels, 
and in frequently bathing the fundament in cold water. 
These baths should be short, , and should be repeated 
whenever there is much pain or uneasiness. It is 
better to evacuate the bowels just before retiring at 
night; and after bathing, the piles should always be 
pushed up, and kept up, if possible. 

25* 



294 DISEASES OF PREGNANCY. 



Looseness of the Bowels. 

This is a comparatively rare affection, and generally 
requires but little treatment. Strict attention to trie 
diet,* which should be very light ; small injections of 
cold water, and a wet bandage to the abdomen — cold 
or warm, according to the degree of heat — will generally 
be sufficient. If any medicine be needed, the follow- 
ing may be safely taken : Prepared chalk, a tea-spoon- 
ful; loaf-sugar, the same quantity — mix together and 
dissolve in ginger tea, and repeat as often as necessary. 
Toward the termination of pregnancy there is some- 
times a dysenteric affection, attended with violent bear- 
ing-down and straining. This should be treated by 
injections of a very small quantity of cold water before 
each evacuation, and a short cold hip-bath after the 
evacuation, to be followed by a good rubbing, as pre- 
scribed in whites. The downward pressure should be 
avoided by lying down until the irritation of the 
bowels subsides. If the above remedies fail, twenty 
drops of laudanum, mixed with two tea-spoonfuls of 
starch, may be thrown up the bowel. 

Palpitation of the Heart. 

Almost all pregnant women suffer more or less from 
this disorder, on account of the extraordinary excite- 
ment to which the system is subjected by the wonder- 
ful processes going on within; but, like many other 
affections, it is caused as much by bad habits as by the 

* Rice is the very best diet in all such cases. 



DISEASES OF PREGNANCY. 295 

peculiar condition of the system. The exciting causes 
are generally mental emotion, and disordered stomach 
and bowels from improper eating. 

Symptoms. — Violent action of the heart, a kind of 
fluttering, with an anxious choking sensation. The 
heart not unfrequently loses a beat, and then thumps 
quick and hard. 

Treatment. — This should consist in a strict avoid- 
ance of all exciting causes, and especially those men- 
tioned. The attack can generally be relieved by bathing 
the feet in hot water, and by placing a cloth wet with 
cold water over the heart. When it comes on in the 
last months, it is sometimes caused by the crowding 
upward of the womb ; in such cases as these we have 
seen great relief from short cold hip-baths. If the general 
health is feeble, it should be reinvigorated by pursuing 
the plan prescribed in green sickness. Preparations of 
iron are excellent where there is much debility, but 
where the habit is full they should not be used. In 
such cases as these the diet should be very light, and 
as much exercise should be taken as the nature of the 
case will allow. 

Fainting Fits. 

These sometimes occur in very nervous women, par- 
ticularly at the period of quickening. The causes are 
very much the same as those mentioned under the pre- 
ceding head. 

Symptoms. — Stoppage of the pulse, very feeble 
breathing, and loss of sensibility, but no spasmodic 
movements. 

Treatment. — Apply vinegar and carbonate of am- 



296 DISEASES OF PREGNANCY. 

monia (smelling salts) to the nose, sprinkle cold water 
in the face, and bathe the feet in hot water, rubbing 
well afterwards with warm flannel, or with the warm 
hand. Air should be freely admitted, and care should 
be taken not to hold the stimulants to the nose too 
long; they should be applied only a short time, and 
then removed, and then re-applied. Persons should 
not crowd around the patient. All exciting causes 
must of course be avoided as far as possible, and 
the general health should be attended to, as directed 
under the head of palpitation. Never raise the patient 
up when the fit is on, but always lay her down. 

Cough, and Difficulty of Breathing. 

Difficulty of breathing occurs most commonly during 
the latter months, and is caused by the upward pressure 
of the womb, by which the lungs are crowded and 
compressed. In the earlier stages of pregnancy, it is 
caused sometimes by plethora (too much blood), or by 
mental emotion, errors in diet, great nervousness, &c. 

Treatment. — If the patient is feeble and nervous, 
the general treatment for the restoration of the health 
should be pursued. If there be excessive fullness 
(plethora), this should be reduced by a very low diet, 
by pretty active exercise, and by the warm bath, or 
warm wet-sheet pack. The latter should be used from 
a half hour to an hour and a half each time, and should 
be repeated as often as it seems to be necessary. In 
all cases the bowels should be kept regular, and all 
exciting causes, such as tight dresses, excessive eating, 
&c, should be avoided. When the difficulty is caused 



DISEASES OF PREGNANCY. 297 

by upward pressure, short cold hip-baths,* followed by- 
friction, will often give great relief. The cough, that 
sometimes accompanies the difficulty of breathing, and 
sometimes - occurs independently of it, is generally 
caused by nervous excitement in the early stages, and 
by pressure in the latter months. When nervous, it 
should be treated by hot foot-baths, warm cloths to the 
chest, and warm wet-sheet packs, or warm baths. Should 
the cough be very violent, so as to threaten miscarriage, 
or should it not yield to the above treatment, a physi- 
cian should be consulted ; in the mean time slippery- 
elm water may be used, and a teaspoonful of paregoric 
may be taken. The cough caused by pressure is best 
relieved by a very light diet, by hot foot and tepid or 
warm hip-baths. 

The cough is sometimes attended with spitting of 
blood. In such cases as these, cold cloths should be 
applied to the chest, cold acid drinks, as lemonade, 
vinegar and water, &c, should be taken internally, the 
feet should be bathed in hot water, and a physician 
should be sent for. 

Sleeplessness. 

This is sometimes a very troublesome accompani- 
ment of pregnancy, and is caused by the peculiar con- 
dition of the system, which is often aggravated by 
mental emotion, excessive eating, want of exercise, 
close rooms, &c. 



* When there is any suspicion that the cough or difficulty of breathing 
is not a mere effect of the pregnancy, but symptoms of actual disease of 
the lungs, a physician should be consulted, before resorting to any kind 
of cold application. 



298 DISEASES OF PREGNANCY. 

Treatment.— Sponge the body all over in cool, 
cold, or tepid water, according to the feelings, just 
before going to bed. The wet-sheet pack, and the gene- 
ral warm bath, by their soothing effects, are excellent 
in these cases. It is said that simply wrapping a wet 
towel around the hand will sometimes succeed. Warm 
foot-baths have also a very happy effect in many cases. 
Very light suppers should be taken, the sleeping apart- 
ment should be well aired, and opiates should not be 
taken, except by the advice of a physician. And 
indeed this will very seldom be necessary, if the above 
directions be followed. 

Low Spirits. 

Pregnant women, from the peculiar condition of their 
brain and nerves, are very prone to indulge in gloomy 
foreboding?, and their mental troubles are often much 
increased by bad habits of living, and by the awful 
rehearsals and the sad prognostications of ignorant old 
women. And, in the eloquent language of Dr. Mont- 
gomery, " how deplorable, then, must be the condition 
of the mind in a woman, who, led astray by the profli- 
gate from virtue's paths of pleasantness and peace, 
and then abandoned, is compelled to consider her preg- 
nancy a curse, instead of a blessing, and has, in addi- 
tion to the ordinary troubles of that state, to bear up 
against the agony of disappointed hopes, of affections 
misplaced and cruelly misused, to endure the present 
scorn of society, and the anticipation of a still-increas- 
ing shame, for which she is to find no ' sweet oblivious 
antidote, ' of power to ' pluck from the memory a rooted 
sorrow/ or ( raze out the written troubles of the brain !' 



DISEASES OF PREGNANCY. 299 

No wonder that such poor unfortunates as these should 
die of madness and convulsions ! 

Treatment. — The bodily health should be attended 
to according to the directions so often given ; and the 
mind should be hopeful and cheerful under the full 
conviction that all will be well, if the laws of health 
be observed. Let all idle fears and forebodings be 
banished ; live right, trust God, and take comfort from 
the thought that not one woman in ten thousand, who 
will do thus, will die from the diseases of pregnancy 
and child-bed. 

Headache. 

This very common disorder is generally caused by 
mental emotion, costive bowels, and excessive eating 
and drinking. It is to be treated by avoiding these 
causes, and all others that are known, — by using hot foot 
baths, and by pouring cold water on the head, if there 
is any unusual heat. If there is much fullness of 
habit, the wet-sheet pack or warm bath (cold being 
applied to the head and warmth to the feet at the same 
time) will be found highly useful. When the pain in 
the head comes on just before confinement it is a 
threatening of convulsions, and should be met by cold 
to the head, a very low, unstimulating diet, fresh air, 
and exercise, if the condition will admit of the last. 
By attention to these simple directions, headache may 
almost always be avoided or relieved. In nervous 
headache, and sick headache, the following mixture is 
very good, but avoidance of the causes is better. Take 
salts of hartshorn, ten grains; powdered valerian 
root, twenty grains, or oil of valerian, ten drops ; cin- 



300 DISEASES OF PREGNANCY. 

namon water, or ginger tea, two ounces. Mix and 
take one half, and the other half in fifteen minutes, if 
the first does not relieve. If tea is used, it should be 
cold when the medicine is added. 

Hysteric Fits. 

It is a very common opinion among the people that 
" hysterics" is only an imaginary disease, that it has no 
actual existence, and therefore many women, knowing 
that they are diseased, become offended when they are 
told that they have "nothing but hysterics." Some- 
times the state of excitement thus produced acts bene- 
ficially, but it is as likely to do harm as good ; and it 
should be known that hysterics is as real a disease as 
small-pox or measles, and that the unfortunate subjects 
of this disorder, instead of being treated with ridicule 
and contempt, should receive our tenderest care and 
sympathy. Women of every age, and even some men, 
are liable to hysteric fits ; but they occur most fre- 
quently during th6 menstrual life, and appear generally 
to be connected with some excitement or derangement 
of the womb. Hence, we might not unreasonably 
infer that these attacks would not be very infrequent 
in pregnancy, when we take into consideration the 
extraordinary changes going on in the womb. And 
such is even the case ; for, while there is nothing about 
pregnancy that must necessarily cause hysterics, the 
exciting causes are abundant, in the present mode of 
living. 

Causes. — These are so numerous, as just intimated 
that we can only mention the principal. They are, a 
nervous temperament, idleness, effeminacy, menstrual 



DISEASES OF PREGNANCY. 301 

disorders, as suppression, difficult menstruation, 
"change of life," &c; sexual abuses, mental excite- 
ment, as fear, anger, disappointment, &c. ; and particu- 
larly that kind of excitement caused by reading lascivi- 
ous books, and witnessing licentious scenes. To these 
causes may be added excessive eating and sleeping, the 
use of opium and tobacco ; stimulating drinks, as spi- 
rits, tea, and coffee ; the abuse of purgatives ; and many 
other abuses, too common in these modern days of ener- 
vating refinements, might be mentioned. 

Symptoms. — The symptoms of this disorder are as 
numerous as the causes; indeed, there is scarcely a 
disease in the whole catalogue which may not be 
counterfeited by it. We only give the most common 
form. The attack sometimes comes on suddenly, but 
is generally preceded by a feeling of oppression, and 
indescribable uneasiness and anxiety ; to these general 
symptoms may be added chilliness, flashes of heat, 
headache, cramps, and great fickleness of disposition, 
manifested by crying and laughing immoderately and 
without sufficient cause. The paroxysm, or actual 
hysteric fit, is generally marked by the following 
symptoms: At the commencement of the fit the 
patient feels chilly, the pulse flutters ; sometimes there 
is an acute pain in the head, as if some sharp body 
were driven into it ; but the most invariable symptom 
is an uneasy feeling in the abdomen, as if something 
were rolling about ; this gradually extends upwards to 
the throat, causing a disagreeable choking sensation, 
and a feeling of impending suffocation. The rising 
of this- "ball" is accompanied by a feeling of weight 
and uneasiness at the pit of the stomach. With these 

26 



302 DISEASES OF PREGNANCY. 

symptoms are generally associated fainting fits and 
convulsive movements : tlie body is twisted backward 
and forward, the bands are clenched, tbe limbs are 
violently tossed about, tbe patient beats ber breasts, 
tears ber hair, screams, and acts like a crazy woman, 
as sbe is for tbe time. Tbe paroxysm is generally 
terminated by a violent fit of crying, laugbing, scream- 
ing, or low muttering, stupor, belcbing of wind, and a 
large discbarge of clear urine. Gradually sbe reco- 
vers, and tbe system returns to its former condition. 

Treatment. — During tbe paroxysm or fit, tbe 
patient should be laid down, with her head over the 
side of tbe bed, and cold water should be freely poured 
on until sbe revives. At tbe same time warm appli- 
cations should be made to the feet, if she can be kept 
still enough, or the feet and legs may be well rubbed 
with the hand. Eubbing along the backbone is also 
of much advantage. The temples may likewise be 
bathed in cologne water, vinegar, spirits, or hartshorn, 
but the cold water will generally be sufficient of itself 
to terminate the fit. It is hardly necessary to add 
that all tight clothing should be loosed, and that 
garters, stays, and everything of the kind should be 
removed. During the intervals between the attacks 
all the causes should be avoided, the patient should 
enjoy pure air and bright sunshine, should exercise, 
and in short should follow all the directions for bracing 
up and restoring the general health. The general 
treatment recommended in green sickness will be 
appropriate in pregnancy ; and if tbe fits are attended 
with menstrual derangements, these should be treated 
according to tbe plan laid down under the appro- 



DISEASES OF PREGNANCY. 303 

priate head. (See "Stoppage of the Courses/' and 
other Menstrual Derangements.) 

Convulsions in Pregnancy. 

These are different from hysteric fits, and are more 
dangerous. 

Causes. — Many of the causes mentioned under the 
preceding head, may predispose to convulsions; but 
the immediate and direct cause seems to be a rush of 
blood to the head. 

Vaeieties. — There are two kinds of convulsions 
occurring in pregnancy and child -bed : the epileptic, 
or spasmodic; and the apoplectic, or stupid. 

Symptoms of the epileptic form. — Generally the fit 
is preceded by pain in the head, giddiness, confusion 
of thought, ringing in the ears, temporary loss of 
sight, sick stomach, &c. These convulsions are dis- 
tinguished from hysteric fits by the following symp- 
toms : there is total loss of consciousness, frothing at 
the mouth, flushing of the face, and more violent 
spasms, which come on more frequently, vwith only a 
partial return of sensibility. In epileptic spasms the 
laughing and crying of hysterics are never seen. 

Symptoms of the apoplectic form. — This form gene- 
rally occurs in labor. There is really but little spasm 
or convulsion connected with it. The body may be 
agitated for a short time, when the fit first comes on, 
but this agitation, if present, is soon followed by a 
deep stupor, attended with perfect insensibility, and 
a noisy snoring breathing. The muscles are relaxed, 
and the limbs fall about when moved. 

Treatment. — So far as domestic practice is con- 



304 DISEASES OF PREGNANCY. 

cerned in these formidable affections, it should consist 
more in the preventive than the curative. Strict atten- 
tion should be paid to the state of the body and mind, 
all exciting causes should be avoided, and if there are 
any of the threatening symptoms described, cold water 
should be poured freely on the head, to be followed 
by a thin 'cloth, wet with cold water, to the same part, 
and hot water to the feet. If these measures do not 
give speedy relief, a skillful physician should be sent 
for immediately. The diet should be very light in these 
cases : it should consist only of gruel, rice water, and 
toast-water. Threatening symptoms about the head just 
be/ore confinement should never be neglected. 

Pains in the Breasts. 

These pains may be purely nervous, or they may 
be caused by some degree of inflammation in the 
breasts or milk glands. They are caused through 
sympathy with the womb. If of a nervous character, 
they will be relieved by applying warm cloths to the 
breasts; and if there is heat or feverishness about 
the breasts, equal relief will be afforded by the 
application of cold cloths, frequently changed. The 
breasts may also be bathed in warm laudanum. The , 
bowels should not be neglected. 

Relaxation of the Abdomen and Ruptures. 

From the great distension and relaxation of the 
muscles of the abdomen in pregnancy, the bowels 
sometimes protrude through openings, constituting 
hernia or rupture. This protrusiou most commonly 
occurs at the navel, or at the natural openings near the 
groins. 



DISEASES OF PREGNANCY. 305 

Symptoms. — A soft tumor in some part of the abdo- 
men, which may generally be pushed back ; but should 
it become strangulated or bound, so that the bowels 
cannot act, there will be tenderness of the swelling, 
with vomiting and obstinate constipation. 

Treatment. — In the cases last described, a physi- 
cian should be sent for. If the tumor can be pushed 
back, this should be done, and then a bandage should 
be applied to prevent its return. If the protrusion is 
at the navel, or any place in the upper part of the 
abdomen, a thin plate of sheet-lead or circular piece of 
adhesive plaster may be placed over it before the 
bandage is applied. For the relaxation which results 
in great looseness of the skin, constituting " pendulous 
belly," there is nothing equal to frequent sponging 
of the abdomen with cold water, followed by friction. 
This gives strength and resistance to the muscles, 
prevents the deformity of great folds in the skin of 
the abdomen, and relieves other unpleasant conse- 
quences of pregnancy, as we shall see hereafter. 

Inability to hold the Urine. 

This distressing affection may result from great irri- 
tability about the bladder, but it is not unfrequently 
caused by the pressure of the womb on the bladder. 

The symptoms are a dribbling away of the urine, 
and an inability to hold the water any length of time. 

Treatment. — This should consist in warm hip- 
baths to soothe the irritation of the bladder; cold 
sponging of the abdomen to strengthen its muscles, 
and thus to keep the womb up so that it will not press 
so much on the bladder. If these means fail, which 
they will seldom do, the womb may be supported by 
T 26* 



306 DISEASES OF PREGNANCY. 

a bandage around the lower part of the belly, while 
the other remedies are still used. 

Difficulty in passing Water. 

In this affection, which is exactly opposite to the 
one just described, there is pain, straining, and some- 
times a total inability to pass the water. The accumu- 
lation in the bladder is very dangerous in the early 
months of pregnancy, as it may cause the womb to 
fall backwards and become wedged down beneath the 
prominence at the lower part of the back-bone. 

Treatment. — The warm hip-bath should be used, 
as in the preceding affection ; and if the water cannot 
then be passed, this should be followed immediately 
by the application of cold cloths to the lower part of 
the abdomen, or the cold hip-bath. The sponging and 
bandage may also be used, and care should always be 
taken not to suffer any large accumulation in the 
bladder, by attending to the first solicitations of 
nature. If the above means fail, a physician should 
be sent for immediately to draw off the water with a 
tube or catheter. 

Cramps in various Parts, 

Pregnant women are liable to cramping pains in 
the abdomen, back, legs, &c. 

They are caused partly by pressure, partly by nervous 
irritability, and often no doubt by bad habits of living. 

Symptoms. — Violent drawing or stitch pains in the 
abdomen, back, or legs, coming on by spells. Some- 
times there is a strong contraction or drawing of the 

muscles. 

* 

Treatment. — Pay strict attention to all the laws 



DISEASES OF PREGNANCY. 307 

of health, and rub the painful parts well with the 
hand, or with a flannel moistened in warm spirits of 
turpentine. When the legs are attacked at night, it 
is best for the patient to get out of bed as soon as 
possible and stand on the feet, actively rubbing the 
painful muscles. 

Enlarged Veins. 

x These are generally seen in the legs, and are caused 
by the pressure of the womb, which prevents the free 
return of blodd towards the heart. 

Symptoms. — The veins may be plainly seen in the 
form of knots under the skin ; the legs are much in- 
clined to swell, and sores on them are very hard to heal. 

Treatment. — The woman should not be too much 
on her feet. The abdomen and legs should be sponged 
with cold water, and rubbed at least twice a day. But 
care should be taken not to break the skin in rubbing 
the legs. The rubbing and sponging of the abdomen 
seems to strengthen the muscles, so that they hold up 
the womb and prevent the pressure on the veins 
which run upward from the legs. However the 
effect may be explained, we have succeeded by these 
simple measures in preventing enlarged veins and 
swelled legs in those who had previously been much 
troubled in this way. Laced stockings and bandages 
have been prescribed, but they should not often be 
resorted to without the advice and assistance of a 
physician : for if improperly applied, they will do more 
harm than good. 

Swelled Legs. 

This is a watery or dropsical swelling, caused in 
the same way as the preceding affection. 



308 DISEASES OF PREGNANCY. 

The symptoms are plain; and the treatment is 
the same as in enlarged veins. 

Besides the dropsical swelling of the legs, there is 
sometimes a general swelling of the body, or an accu- 
mulation of water in the belly or chest, or all may 
exist together. Such cases as these require the atten- 
tion of a physician. 

Abortion, or Miscarriage. 

When the child is thrown off before the sixth 
month, it is called a miscarriage or abortion — after 
this time — premature labor. 

Causes. — Miscarriages are caused by the death or 
diseased condition of the child, or some natural or 
accidental condition of the mother. Some feeble, 
delicate women seem to be constitutionally prone to 
this accident from "inward weakness." In such as 
these it may be brought on by very slight causes, and 
women thus predisposed often get into a habit of mis- 
carrying about the same time in each pregnancy. 
This "inward weakness" is really whites, or at any 
rate, the weakness and the whites are often associated. 
The exciting causes of abortion are blows, falls,, 
straining, excessive sexual indulgence, strong mental 
emotions, &c, &c. 

Symptoms. — A feeling of weariness, with aching in 
the back, generally precedes miscarriage. After these 
symptoms have continued for an indefinite period, and 
sometimes without them, symptoms of labor come on. 
These are a pain in the back, running around to the 
lower part of the abdomen and down the thighs. 
These pains are not constant, but they come on by 
spells, and they are attended sooner or later by a 



DISEASES OF PREGNANCY. 309 

bearing-down sensation, and a discharge of mucus or 
blood from tlie privates. In some cases there is 
scarcely any pain — the woman goes out to attend to 
the calls of nature, perhaps, and is suddenly taken 
with flooding, which is soon followed by the expul- 
sion of the child. We have seen such cases as these. 
The child may be passed with all its coverings, or the 
latter may remain for some time after the child is 
expelled. The great danger in abortion is from 
flooding. 

Treatment. — As long as there is any hope of suc- 
ceeding, attempts should be made to prevent the mis- 
-carriage. To accomplish this end, the patient should 
be put immediately to bed. She should be placed on 
a mattress, and never on a feather-bed. The foot of 
the bedstead should be made a little higher than the 
bead, by placing blocks of wood under the legs. The 
room should have a free circulation of air, and the 
bed-covering should be light. If these measures fail 
to stop the pain and flooding, cold wet cloths should 
be applied to the lower part of the abdomen and be- 
tween the thighs ; and these should be changed every 
two or three minutes, if the flooding is profuse. 
Should these external means fail, a short cold hip- 
bath should be used, and then the coldest water should 
be thrown up the vagina (opening to the womb) with 
.a common womb-syringe.* Cold injections into the 
bowels will also be very useful, and especially if there 
is any accumulation in the lower part of the bowels. 

* Should the patient be very much reduced from loss of blood, the hip- 
bath may be omitted, lest bad consequences- should ensue from the effort 
in getting up. 



310 DISEASES OF PREGNANCY. 

If all these remedies fail, and if the bleeding is very 
free, it should be held in cheek by pushing a silk 
handkerchief up the vagina, while a physician is sent 
for. The tampon, as this stopping up is called, is a 
safe and very effectual remedy, and may be used by 
any one of ordinary intelligence without the least 
risk.' 55 ' The handkerchief is to be gently pushed up, 
a piece at a time, until the vagina is filled. If the 
pain and bearing-down are very severe, twenty drops 
of laudanum maybe taken. All the drinks should 
be cold; and acid drinks, as vinegar, lemonade, &c, 
are grateful and tend to check the flooding. Women 
who are subject to whites, should pursue the treat- 
ment prescribed under that head ; and those who are 
prone to miscarry from this or any other cause, 
should be very prudent in all their habits, particu- 
larly about the time that the accident generally hap- 
pens, which is oftenest from the third to the sixth 
month. Women who have contracted this unfortu- 
nate habit should very cautiously guard against all 
excitement, mental and bodily ; they should wear 
loose dresses ; they should avoid all stimulating food 
and drinks, particularly tea and coffee. Moderate exer- 
cise should be taken in the open air ; but rest on a 
sofa or mattress is a powerful preventive, and should 
be resorted to if there is the least threatening about the 
time the accident usually occurs. In addition to 
these means, the body should be sponged daily with 
cold water, followed by friction, and a short hip-bath 
should be used once a day, as directed in whites. 

* It should not be used, however, until all hope of preventing nriscar. 
riage is past. 



DISEASES OF PREGNANCY. 311 

Procured Abortion, 

We cannot conclude this part of our work with- 
out cautioning our readers against the danger and 
criminality of intentional or procured abortion, 
which is alarmingly prevalent in this country. 

Dr. Napheys says : " Hundreds of persons are de- 
voted to its perpetration. It is their trade. In 
nearly every village its ministers stretch out their 
bloody hands to lead the weak women to suffering, 
remorse and death. Those who submit to their 
treatment are not generally unmarried women, who 
have lost their virtue, but the mothers of families, 
respectable Christian matrons, members of churches, 
and walking in the better classes of society." 

Mrs. R. B. Gleason, M. D., in her useful little 
work, " Talks to my Patients/' says : " In my early 
practice, I was often asked to induce abortions, for 
the impression seemed to prevail then, that the 
important part of a woman's work in the medical 
profession, was to prevent pregnancy, or procure 
abortion. With advancing years, I find myself the 
mother confessor of many who have done mischief, 
and now want to be absolved from the mental and 
physical misery entailed." Many other evidences as 
to the prevalence of this evil might be adduced, if 
necessary. The following quotation from the same 
work, will give some idea of the light in which pro- 
cured abortion is too often regarded, and will, at 
the same time, exhibit the desperate and dangerous 
means resorted to for its accomplishment. A young 
wife thus confesses : " I had excellent health until a 



312 DISEASES OP PREGNANCY. 

few months ago, when my monthly period not com- 
ing so soon as expected, I began to be fearful I was 
pregnant, and as we had two little children, and my 
husband's means are moderate, I did not want any 
more just yet ; so I sent to the doctor to give me 
some medicine to bring on my menses, thinking if I 
was in a family way it would do no harm, as it was 
only a few days over my time. The doctor said he 
thought I was pregnant, and it was a pity to have 
another baby when this one was so young, and that 
he would use an instrument to bring me around all 
right, which would do no harm ; that there was 
nothing wrong in so doing. I yielded, and have 
never been well since. I have had a bad leucorrhcea, 
a weak back, pain and pressure in front, and I am 
so afraid that terrible instrument has done some 
harm which can never be cured ; that I shall never 
have any more children, and then I should be so 
sorry. Besides all this, I have such remorse, that I 
cannot eat or sleep as I used to, and have lost my 
flesh, strength and cheerfulness of spirits." 

This case gives only an imperfect idea of the ter- 
rible dangers to which women expose themselves by 
using means to procure abortion ; but it shows how 
innocent women are deluded on this subject; and 
how men, who disgrace the name of doctor, are 
ready to take advantage of the ignorance of these 
misguided ones, and to lead them into a crime which 
brings with it remorse, loss of domestic happiness, 
disease, and in many cases, insanity and death. 

And let it not be supposed, that the crime and the 
danger consist alone in the means used ; in the in- 



DISEASES OF PREGNANCY, 313 

strument resorted to ; for the use of " female pills, 7 * 
violent exercise, powerful purgatives and nostrums 
for forcing the menses, resulting in the expulsion of 
a vitalized germ, is just as much a crime against God 
and humanity, and just as injurious to the woman, 
remotely, if not immediately, as the thrusting of a 
probe into the womb. Nature will not tolerate such 
interference with her work, and those who thus 
thwart her designs must suffer from such a violation 
of her laws. Is there no escape from the evils which 
so many women suffer from excessive child-bearing ? 
Shall they go on multiplying and replenishing the 
earth, when the excessive tax on their powers is 
hurrying them to the grave ? We answer no ! 
When the condition of the woman demands it, con- 
ception may be safely and innocently prevented, 
which is a very different thing, as we have seen, both 
in its moral aspects and its physical effects, from the 
interruption of pregnancy, or the procurement of 
abortion, by the use of instruments, or any other 
means. 

The circumstances justifying prevention, and the 
means, have been mentioned in the first part of this 
work. 

In conclusion, we have a word of hope and good 
cheer for suffering women. It is to be found in the 
assurance that pregnancy may be prevented when 
necessary, by means that are neither dangerous nor 
criminal ; and that when pregnancy occurs, the much 
dreaded perils and pains of child-birth may, to a 
great extent, be avoided, by following the precepts 
-contained in the chapter on the Hygiene of Gesta- 

27 



314 DISEASES OF PREGNANCY. 

tion. We say, then, lot pregnancy never be ter- 
minated by any voluntary act on your part ; but 
once begun, let it go to its close, hoping and be- 
lieving that obedience to the laws of God denouncing 
murder, and to the physiological laws which he has- 
instituted for your government, will ensure peace of 
mind, freedom from disease, and a safe and easy 
delivery. 

False Conceptions, Moles, or Blighted Concep- 
tions. 

These are generally shapeless masses of a fleshy 
appearance. They are caused by a blight or arrest 
of development in the child in the early stages of 
pregnancy. 

The symptoms resemble very much those of ordi- 
nary pregnancy. 

Treatment. — Should their expulsion be attended 
with flooding, it is to be treated on the plan prescribed 
in miscarriage. No attempts should be made at their 
removal, except by the advice of a physician ; for 
nature will generally accomplish her own work with- 
out our assistance, and there is really but little 
danger except from flooding. In concluding the 
subject of miscarriage, &c, it may be proper to add 
that abortion cannot be prevented when the pain 
and flooding have been suffioientlv £ T eat to looseii 
the connection between the child and the womb ; and 
in such cases the only effectual plan of checking the 
flooding is to hasten the expulsion ; therefore, when, 
the bleeding continues in spite of the remedies pre- 
scribed, the farther management of the case should be 
committed to a physician without delay. 



PART FOURTH. 

MIDWIFERY AND DISEASES OF CHILD-BED, 
OR THE CHILD-BIRTH LIFE AND TRIALS 
OF WOMAN. 

U MEDDLESOME MIDWIFERY IS BAD." — NATURE CAN GENERALLY PER- 
FORM HER OWN WORK WITHOUT THE ASSISTANCE OF ART. — WHEN 
AID IS REQUIRED, IT IS ALL-IMPORTANT THAT IT SHOULD BE 
RENDERED AT THE RIGHT TIME, AND IN THE RIGHT WAY: — A 

SINGLE FALSE MOYE, OR A MOMENT'S DELAY, MAY SEAL THE FATE 

« 
OF MOTHER, OR CHILD, OR BOTH. — THEREFORE, NONE BUT THE 

MOST SKILLFUL SHOULD BE TRUSTED IN THE PRACTICE OF MID- 
WIFERY. 



(315) 



CHAPTER I. 
OF THE CHILD IN THE WOMB. 

In medical books, the child "before birth is com- 
monly called a foetus, and we may find it convenient 
to use this term occasionally. 

Mode of Attachment, &o. — The foetus is en- 
veloped in a thin membranous covering, commonly 
known as the " membranes;" and these membranes 
are filled with water, in which the child floats. 
The union between the mother and child is effected 
by means of fas placenta, or after-birth, and the navel 
cord. The after-birth is a fleshy mass, which is 
attached to some part of the inner surface of the 
womb ; and from this after -birth extends the cord to 
the navel of the child. Through this cord pass the 
arteries and vein by which a communication is estab- 
lished between the mother and foetus. The blood of 
the child, in passing through the after -birth, under- 
goes a change similar to that effected by the lungs in 
persons who breathe ; and at the same time it receives 
nutritive matters, which have been absorbed by the 
after -birth from the mother. There are other pecu- 
liarities m the foetal circulation, but it might be too 
tedious to describe them. 



* For a description of the bony parts, or pelvis, through which the child 
must pass, see " Sexual Anatomy and Physiology." 

27* (317) 



313 OF THE CHILD IN THE WOMB. 

Diseases of the Fcetus. — The child in the womb 
is liable to almost all the diseases to which it is sub- 
ject after birth. Children have been born with small- 
pox, measles, and various other skin diseases — with 
consumption, inflammations, &c, &c. From the inti- 
mate connection between the mother and her unborn 
child, the latter is very liable to be affected by any- 
thing that may make a strong impression on her, and 
hence, pregnant women who would give birth to 
healthy children, should carefully guard against all 
causes of disease and excitement. We have already 
shown that the mind of the mother has a very 
powerful influence over the foetus, and that strong 
mental emotions of any kind may arrest its develop- 
ment, causing deformity or death. It may be proper, 
however, to add that the resemblance of the deformed 
child to the object causing the deformity is generally 
imaginary. 

Signs of the Death of the Fcetus. — These are 
rather obscure. They are said to be a sudden cessa- 
tion of the movements of the child in the womb; 
shrinking of the breasts ; looseness, and sinking in of 
the muscles of the abdomen, &c. The death of the 
child is not usually attended with any great danger 
to the mother ; and the subject has been introduced 
to reassure those who are prone to indulge in gloomy 
apprehensions, on account of the real or imaginary 
death of the child in the womb. As no air can enter 
the cavity in which the child is contained, decomposi- 
tion does not take place very rajDidly, and the dead 
child is generally expelled, after an uncertain interval, 
with pains a little heavier than those experienced in 
giving birth to a living child. 



OF LABOR PAINS. 319 

CHAPTER II. 
OF LABOR PAINS. 

Child-birth not necessarily Painful. — The prop- 
osition that child-birth is not necessarily attended 
with great pain, is certainly contrary to the current 
belief among physicians and people ; and it appears 
to be contradicted by the daily observations of prac- 
titioners of medicine, and by the sad experiences of 
suffering women all over the civilized world. Yet, 
we confidently believe that the truth of the position 
can be fully sustained by the teachings of physi- 
ology, and by the evidence of many cases of painless 
labor, where women have been delivered with little 
or no pain, when free from any artificial or stupefy- 
ing influence whatever ; while the brain was wide 
awake and active, and all the nerves fully alive and 
endowed with all the sensibility naturally belonging 
to them. 

Some of the teachings of science on this subject, 
and some of the evidences drawn from our own ob- 
servation, and from the testimony of other writers, 
we now propose to present for the comfort and 
encouragement of suffering women. 

Dr. Napheys in his recent work, the Physical Life 
of "Women, in answer to the question, u is it pos- 
sible to avoid the throes of labor and have children 
without pain?" replies that "science answers in 
the affirmative ? " But a little further on, we learn 
that his science is the administration of chloroform 
to blunt or annul the pains of labor. While we 



320 OF LABOR PAINS. 

would not detract from the merits of chloroform, 
when properly used, we must say that the science 
which promises health and freedom from pain with- 
out the use of any stupefying drug, is far preferable 
to that science which offers relief only by the use of 
a remedy which is " never to be used in the absence 
of the doctor," as our writer truly says ; and which 
he might have added, is not perfectly safe in his 
hands, and which is often inaccessible on account of 
the absence of the doctor, or the chloroform, or both. 

In the teachings of Physiology and Hygiene, we 
learn a " better way." Of the hygiene of gestation 
we have spoken in another place. What now, let 
us inquire, do the science of physiology and the 
anatomical structure of women teach us ? 

From Anatomy and Physiology, we learn that the 
nerves of the womb are derived almost entirely from 
the organic or sympathetic system of nerves — a set 
of nerves intended to preside over nutrition and cir- 
culation, and not to convey impressions to the braim 

Now it being admitted that the womb is sup- 
plied almost exclusively by this unfeeling set of 
nerves, which convey sensation to the brain only in 
a state of long continued excitement, or of actual 
disease, the conclusion follows that the womb, in a 
natural physiological condition, is not a very sensi- 
tive organ, and that great pain in it is no part of its 
physiology, but an unnatural or morbid manifesta- 
tion. And daily observation teaches us that the 
womb has but little sensibility in a healthy state,, 
though partially supplied by a set of nerves (the 
cerebro-spinal), whose office it is to convey sensation 



OF LABOR PAINS. 321 

to the brain, and motion to the muscles. Every 
physician knows, and many women are aware that 
the womb can be roughly handled, and even cauter- 
ized with little or no manifestation of sensibility 
when healthy ; and that it may be thus treated even 
when diseased, without any great pain. If then, 
there is nothing; in the nervous structure of the 
womb to account for labor pains, how are these 
pains produced ? According to the theories of all 
writers on the subject, pressure, in some form, is re- 
garded as the great source of pain in child-birth. 
All the explanations of such writers prove that 
labor is viewed by them as a mere mechanical act — 
as the forcible passage of a body through a narrow 
passage, without considering the vital condition and 
adaptation of the parts through which the passage is 
to be made. 

While pressure doubtless has much to do with the 
pains of labor; it cannot, in itself, be the sole or 
even the principal cause of these pains. It is well 
known to all obstetricians, that the pains of dilata- 
tion or opening of the w^omb, are excessive in some 
women before the presenting part of the child 
presses on the mouth of the womb. In these cases, 
we must assume that the pains result from pressure 
on the almost insensible nerves of the body of the 
womb ; or we must adopt the much more reasonable 
conclusion, that a degree of pressure which would 
scarcely be felt in a healthy condition, is greatly ag- 
gravated by a morbid irritability of the nervous 
system in general, and of the few sensitive nerves 

of the mouth of the womb in particular, the diffi- 
U 



322 OF LABOR PAINS. 

eulty in the mouth, in these cases, and in most 
others, being not the pressure in itself, but the re- 
luctant yielding and stretching of parts deficient in 
that vital expansibility which certainly belongs to 
all the soft parts through which the child has to pass, 
and which is certainly necessary for the easy per- 
formance of the act of parturition. 

This vital expansibility, or this disposition to 
yield at the proper time without force, has much, 
very much, to do with freedom from the pains of labor. 
And yet while all writers admit and admire the 
wonderful adaptation of the child, to the parts through 
which it has to pass, and wonder at the wise provi- 
sions of nature for the accomplishment of the great 
work of parturition, still these same writers speak 
of the act as a mere mechanical one, as before stated 
— as the forcible opening of ill-constructed parts, 
by a body not adapted to these parts either in size or 
shape: Hence the highest obstetric writers attribute 
the opening of the mouth of the womb entirely to 
the wedge-like pressure of the child's head, driven 
on by the forcible and overpowering contractions of 
the body of the womb ; the muscular efforts of 
which, finally, after a terrible struggle, gain the vic- 
tory over the reluctant and obstinate fibres of the 
mouth. 

But, as is truly stated by Carpenter, the opening 
of the mouth of the womb and the other soft parts, 
is a vital and not a mechanical process; the vital 
properties of the parts involved, are changed by an 
unhealthy or non-physiological condition of those 
parts, and as a consequence, the mucous secretion is 



OF LABOR PAINS. 323 

checked or arrested, the tissues are rigid and un- 
yielding, the nervous sensibility is greatly increased, 
the vital expansibility is absent, and the result of all 
this is, that parturition is translated in truth as well 
as in theory from the domain of physiology to that 
of pathology and mechanics, and violent overpower- 
ing force, attended with atrocious and unnatural 
pains, is required to overcome the resistance of parts 
morbidly irritable, and wholly or partially deficient 
In vital expansibility. Hence the causes of the ex- 
cessive pains of labor may be summed up in a few 
words, viz. : morbid irritability of the nervous sys- 
tem in general, and of the nerves of the womb in 
particular, with deficiency or absence of that vital 
expansibility or self-opening which is necessary to 
easy delivery. 

The degree of pain will, of course, be proportioned to 
the nervous sensibility. 

Most of the causes of nervous irritability, such as 
late hours, tight clothing, insufficient exercise, stim- 
ulating drinks, over indulgence in high-seasoned, too 
concentrated food, inordinate excitement of the 
passions, and excessive drugging have been noticed 
in the first part of this work, and certainly these 
and other causes are sufficiently wide-spread to ac- 
count for the prevalent derangement of health, and 
the painful labors of our women. 

In addition to this physiological argument, we 
could prove that parturition is not necessarily a 
painful process, by quoting examples of absolutely 
painless labors from almost every obstetric writer* 
But instead of this, we will only make some com- 



324 OF LABOR PAINS. 

parisons between the labors of the different classes of 
society, concluding with some examples of painless, 
or very easy and speedy deliveries, from our own 
practice. The contrast between the parturitions of 
women in civilized and savage life proves conclu- 
sively that the difficulties in child-birth are not 
necessarily a part of the process, but the result of 
habits of living. 

While all civilized child-bearing women cannot 
be said to be in a state of actual open disease, there 
cannot be a shadow of doubt that the habits of 
civilized life tend greatly to beget that morbid irri- 
tability and that preternatural susceptibility to pain 
which have so much to do with the pangs of partu- 
rition. We all know the difference between the 
parturitions of women in civilized and savage life. 
We are all familiar with the fact that Indian 
women really have no lying-in ; that they " fall be- 
hind for a little on their journeys through the forest, 
deliver themselves, and shortly make up to their 
husbands, and continue their journey with their 
offspring on their back." Among the South Ameri- 
can Indians, " a mother, immediately on her delivery, 
takes her child, and going down to the nearest 
stream of water, washes herself and it and returns to 
the usual labors of her station." And even in civil- 
ized life, we all know that the pains and dangers of 
child-birth are diminished in proportion as women 
approach plain, healthful, natural habits of living. 
Those who are in moderate circumstances, who are 
equally removed from the depressing influences of 
extreme poverty and the enervating, destructive in- 



OF LABOR PAINS. 325 

diligences purchased by wealth, have easier labors 
and more speedy recoveries than either of the ex- 
tremes of society ; and the poorest often escape the 
."primal curse" much better than the pampered 
daughter of idleness and luxury. Hence, the negro 
women of the Southern States, who were compelled 
to lead an active life, and live on plain food, with 
minds undisturbed by corroding cares, had, as every 
Southern physician knows, much easier labors, and 
were much less exposed to so-called accidents, than 
their mistresses. 

Now nature being governed by fixed and uniform 
laws in all her operations, if it can be proved that even 
one woman, in a natural condition, without the aid 
of any pain-destroying drug, has been delivered with 
little or no pain, the proof is conclusive that partu- 
rition is not necessarily a painful process. It is ad- 
mitted that not only one but many have been 
thus delivered. 

Why then, may not all healthy, well-formed 
women have comparatively, or even positively pain- 
less labors, by obedience to the laws of health ? 

We have seen that there is nothing in the struc- 
ture of women to forbid this, and that whole races 
of women escape the pains and dangers of labor to a 
great extent by simple, natural habits of living. 

The following cases are adduced from our own 
practice, to demonstrate the good effects of a proper 
hygienic course in preventing or greatly mitigating 
the pains of child-birth. 

Case I. — Mrs. -, aged nineteen ; first labor 

eighteen hours; expulsive stasce about six hours; 

28 



326 OF LABOR PAINS. 

pains numerous and severe ; no preparatory course of 
treatment ; general health good, development good ; 
no malformation from tight lacing or close fittings 
dresses. Second labor twenty-four hours ; child breech 
foremost ; expulsive stage five hours ; no preparatory 
treatment. Third labor fourteen hours; expulsive 
stage three hours. 

All these labors were pretty severe, but were un- 
complicated with any serious difficulty. After the 
last, she had an attack of " milk-leg," followed by 
ulceration of the womb, with great debility and im- 
pairment of health, as manifested in palpitation of 
the heart, dyspepsia, and many distressing nervous 
symptoms. During this pregnancy, and in previous 
ones, she had most of the long and distressing list of 
the " diseases of pregnancy/' described in another part 
of this work. 

In her fourth pregnancy, she w r as subjected to the 
hygienic course recommended in the chapter on the 
Hygiene of Gestation, and she escaped most of the 
ailments of pregnancy, while parturition was effected 
in three hours from the beginning of labor, with an 
almost painless expulsive stage of half an hour, the 
work being accomplished with only three or four 
contractions. 

In her fifth pregnancy she had the same or even 
greater immunity from the diseases regarded as in- 
separable from this condition, the treatment being 
similar to that in the fourth pregnancy. 

In her sixth labor, the mouth of the womb was 
opened in twelve hours, with painless contractions r 
and expulsion was accomplished in twenty minutes 



OF LABOR PAINS. 327 

after the womb opened, with six strong and almost 
painless contractions. And this after an interval of 
twelve years, during which she had not borne a child, 
and had suffered more or less with ulceration of the 
womb. 

Case II. — Mrs. C , aged about seventeen years ; 

first child; short stature; firm tissues; closely built, 
but well formed. She was subjected to the prepara- 
tory hygienic course already recommended, and was 
delivered in about six hours from the beginning of 
labor, with a very short and almost painless expulsive 
stage. So little complaint was made, that the child 
came near being born without our knowledge, though 
in the room all the time. And the patient did not 
suppress her complaints, for she expressed great sur- 
prise that her labor was over so soon, and with so 
little pain. There was no flooding, scarcely a stain 
of blood, no bad smell nor other disagreeable ac- 
companiment of child-bed. Indeed one of the most 
pleasant things connected with the hygienic treat- 
ment, is the remarkable purity of the secretions in 
those who have followed it. 

Case III. — Mrs. S , aged about eighteen; well 

formed ; good general health ; treatment hygienic 
during pregnancy ; labor six hours ; expulsive stage 
short; only one or two contractions finished it, and 
she expressed herself as feeling scarcely any pain, 
moved in two weeks on the cars. In her second 
pregnancy she again followed the hygienic treat- 
ment, and was delivered in three or four hours from 
the beginning of labor. Expulsive stage only about 



328 OF LABOR PAINS. 

twenty minutes, and almost painless ; no accident of 
any kind ; recovery good. 

In her third labor, the preparatory treatment was 
the same, and she was delivered in three-quarters of 
an hour from the first pain. This time there were 
but nine contractions in all ; seven effected opening 
of the womb, and two, which were scarcely felt, ac- 
complished expulsion. 

In her fourth pregnancy she was travelling for 
many weeks, and could not use hygienic means to 
advantage, having to omit the most important part 
of it, bathing, during the last two months. In this 
confinement her labor was twelve hours long, and 
more severe than previous ones. 

Case IV. — Mrs. F , aged twenty-five or thirty ; 

good health ; well formed ; third labor. Reports 
other labors severe. Treatment in this third preg- 
nancy, hygienic. Labor four or five hours ; expul- 
sive stage about half an hour ; very little pain ; no 
accidents of any kind ; everything pure and sweet. 

Case V. — Mrs. II , aged about eighteen ; first 

child; form and general health good; but she had 
been delicately raised in the enjoyment of wealth 
and ease. Treatment during pregnancy, same as in 
the other cases. Labor six hours; expulsive stage 
three-quarters of an hour ; scarcely any pain ; no 
hemorrhage or disagreeable sjmiptom. 

There are some points in these cases worthy of 
special notice. 

The first case embraces six labors, three with 
hygienic treatment during gestation, and three 
without. The latter were respectively eighteen, 



OF LABOR PAINS. 329 

twenty-four and fourteen hours in duration, and by 
no means free from pain. The last three labors of 
the same woman under hygienic treatment, were 
almost entirely painless : and two of these were ac- 
complished in three hours, while the other, though 
occupying twelve hours in opening the mouth of the 
womb, was unattended with pain in this, the first 
stage, which is generally the most painful and try- 
ing to women. 

And, be it remembered, that after the opening of 
the womb, the child was born almost without pain, 
in the marvellously short space of twenty minutes. 
And this too, after an interval of twelve years with- 
out bearing a child, the failure to conceive being 
due to chronic inflammation of the womb. The 
second and filth cases were fii^t children. These 
cases will show that even young women, in whom 
labor is usually more severe and protracted than in 
others, can be delivered with but little pain under a 
preparatory course of treatment. 

The third case was also a woman with her first 
child ; and this was only six hours in duration, and 
almost painless ; while two other labors in the same 
women, after a hygienic course, were short and easy 
— one being three or four hours long, and the other 
only three-quarters of an hour ; and in both cases 
the pain amounted to almost nothing. The short 
period in which delivery was accomplished, in most 
of these cases, proves that a long time is not neces- 
sary to safety in child-birth, as many writers con- 
tend. But these cases show conclusively that when 
the parts are fully prepared by bathing, and other 

28* 



330 OF LABOR PAINS. 

hygienic means; that when the excessive rigidity 
and nervous irritability are allayed by such strength- 
ening, soothing, and relaxing measures as we have 
recommended, then the expulsive contractions, and 
the vital expansion, the spontaneous opening, and 
the expelling power act in beautiful harmony like the 
parts of a well-constructed and well-oiled machine ; 
and thus may the wonderful act of bringing a child 
into the world, be performed in twenty or thirty min- 
utes, without the least danger of rupture or tearing, 
flooding or other terrible accidents, which are de- 
scribed in medical works. And what is better still, 
with little or no pain, and without resorting to any 
stupefying drug. 

But now for the objections to all this. Many are 
ready to say this looks very reasonable, and the ar- 
gument seems to be very conclusive ; but then 
the doctors all think that labor must be attended 
with pain, and they are ready to prove this by their 
daily observations, by the experience of almost every 
child-bearing woman, and by the Bible itself — that 
unanswerable argument. As to the doctors — all we 
have to say is, that they are very poor witnesses in 
such cases ; for their observations are confined al- 
most exclusively to cases more or less diseased, or 
where some complication in labor demands their at- 
tention. Besides this, very few of them have di- 
rected their attention to the hygienic management 
of such cases, relying as they do, like the writer 
quoted, mainly on drug medication to remove existing 
difficulties. In addition to all this, their minds are 
imbued with all the prejudices of an early education, 



OF LABOR PAINS. 331 

which almost ignores hygiene ; while they are to a 
considerable extent, like others, under the influence 
of a mistaken theology, which seems to fix its seal 
of approbation on what they see and read every day. 
It is not strange then, that doctors should be slow to 
believe that labor can be made painless by any 
means except some drug that will blunt or subdue 
the nervous sensibility. While admitting then, 
theoretically, that child-birth is a natural physiologi- 
cal process, and while numerous facts sustain the 
position, that labor is not necessarily painful, they 
yet regard it, practically as a morbid process, because 
they generally see it in this light. 

And as to the women, to whom can they look for 
instruction, except to their doctors of law and di- 
vinity — their physicians and their preachers ? And 
do not these all teach that women must suffer in 
child-birth, because daily experience and the Bible 
declare it in unmistakable terms ? 

The great objections to be met, then, are the in- 
dividual experiences and observations of women 
themselves, and the teachings of doctors and theolo- 
gians. ~We have already spoken sufficiently of the 
evidence of physicians on this point. As to the ex- 
periences of women, they are worth but little as to 
what constitutes a healthy natural labor ; for most 
of them are either diseased or in an unnatural condi- 
tion, having lived in habitual violation of all the 
laws of health, not knowing their efficacy and im- 
portance, relying alone on drugs, and submitting 
with confiding faith and pious resignation to the 
teachings of their medical and religious instructors. 



■332 OF LABOR PAINS. 

Let us now consider the teachings of the Bible on 
this subject. 

It may be well to premise that we believe in the 
Bible as a rule of action, as an authority in morals, 
and as a system of spiritual truths and doctrines. 
But we do not believe in that mistaken piety which 
would array the Bible in opposition to every discov- 
ery in science. This book was never intended to 
teach Anatomy, Physiology, Astronomy, Geology, 
or any of the sciences. Yet, we think that there is 
nothing in the Bible incompatible with the teach- 
ings of true science, when the book is confined to 
its legitimate sphere, and properly understood and 
interpreted. What, then, of that curse — that dread- 
ful curse — " In sorrow shalt thou bring forth chil- 
dren ! " This is often quoted " in pain," etc. But 
the word sorrow does not necessarily include physi- 
cal pain ; and we might find abundant sources of 
sorrow for Eve in her mental condition — in the 
anxieties and forebodings that would naturally fill 
her mind on the birth of a child into a world aliena- 
ted from God, and cursed with the terrible evils of 
sin. But not wishing to take advantage of a mere 
verbal quibble, we freely admit that many portions 
of the Bible express in strong terms physical suffer- 
ing in connection with child-birth. A few of these 
may be given : " Fear took hold of them there, and 
pains, as of a woman in travail." " They shall be 
in pain, as a woman that travaileth." " Therefore, 
rare my loins filled with pain ; pangs have taken hold 
of me, as the pangs of a women that travaileth." 



OP LABOR PAINS. 333 

These quotations might be greatly extended, for 
the Bible- has many such expressions. 

It is admitted then, that women suffer, grievously 
suffer, in parturition, and that they have thus suffered 
since the introduction of sin into the world. But 
this suffering of woman is certainly not due to any 
original defect in her physical organization, for this 
must have been perfect as it emanated from the plas- 
tic hand of the Almighty. Ko one can doubt that the 
women of the present day have the same system of 
nerves, muscles, and bones as the first woman, and, 
therefore, if the first woman could have been de- 
livered without pain, in the perfection of her physical 
organization, as all are ready to admit, so may her 
daughters escape the pangs and perils of child-birth 
just in proportion to their obedience to the physio- 
logical laws, which have been violated by the 
introduction of sin. In other words, women may 
promise themselves exemption from the pains of 
child-birth, as they approximate original physical 
perfection by obedience to the laws of health, dis- 
obedience to which is the cause of their physical 
degeneracy and consequent sufferings. 

These sufferings then, are not due to any original 
defect of organization, nor to the direct effect of the 
curse inflicted on our erring mother, but to the 
violations mentioned. For we have seen that this 
organization must have been perfect before the fall. 
And surely no one will be so absurd as to assume that 
God made any change in the physical structure of 
man or woman by pronouncing a curse on either. 

The natural or physiological laws were unchangea- 



334 OF LABOR PAINS. 

ble from the beginning ; they were instituted before 
the fall, and were not changed in a single "jot or 
tittle" by the fall, but remain in all their integrity 
and force to the present day. 

But while the laws which govern man's physical 
"being are not changed, his relation to those laws is 
changed, by reason of sin, which causes him to con- 
travene those laws in numberless ways. And thus 
does he suffer the penalty which follows as an un- 
avoidable sequence, and he or she, the man or the 
woman, suffers individually, reasonably and right- 
eously in this way, and not as a ichole race, through 
the mysterious and inexplicable operation of a harsh, 
indiscriminate, and vindictive curse. 

Whenever men and women cease to transgress the 
laws of their organism, whenever they, by obedience 
to those laws, place themselves in proper relation to 
them, then they are visited with blessings and not 
with curses ; then the terrible curse on woman is no 
longer operative ; then she can fulfil the great 
command to "multiply and replenish the earth," 
without pain, as the perfection of her unimpaired 
and unperverted physical organization abundantly 
qualifies her to do. 

The curse on woman, then, must be regarded as a 
salutary restraint, as an incentive to right living, 
and as a simple but solemn declaration or predic- 
tion of the evils that would befall her by reason of 
violation of the laws instituted in wisdom and good- 
ness for her well-beins;. All the evils arising from 
such violations were, of course, foreseen by Divine 
Wisdom. They were announced beforehand, and 



OF LABOR PAINS. 335 

they have been literally, sadly fulfilled, not by the 
direct withering influence of a curse, but by the 
voluntary, self-inflicted agency of woman, who, so far 
as her physical being is concerned, still remains 
subject to the great primal law of the race, " obey and 
live, disobey and die." 

This law of works still prevails in the physical 
and the physiological world. For moral transgres- 
sions we have an atonement, but none for violations 
of physical and physiological laws. The penalty 
must follow the infraction. If a man throws him- 
self from a height, the law of gravitation must bring 
him to the ground. If a woman narrows her hips, 
weakens her muscles, poisons her blood, and unduly 
excites her nerves by bad habits of living, she must 
suffer the consequences in disease, and in painful 
and difficult labors. Were it otherwise, the whole 
wise economy of the universe would be subverted, 
and still greater evils than those that now exist 
would befall the human race, by the introduction of 
disorder and confusion, and the removal of that 
strongest incentive to good, and that most salutary 
restraint from evil, which are to be found in a 
knowledge of the fact that our temporal welfare can 
he secured only by obedience to the laws of our 
being. 

How much more reasonable such teachings as 
these, how much more in accordance with Divine 
"Wisdom, than the doctrines of a misguided theology, 
which would make all the evils that afflict the 
human family the direct consequence of a curse in- 
flicted on our first parents, a curse whose blighting, 



336 OF LABOR PAINS. 

pain-inflicting power can by no possibility be 
avoided. 

We trust that we will be excused for enlarging so 
much on this subject, when it is remembered that it 
is the most important and interesting one that 
could engage attention. And one, we may add, con- 
cerning which there is a vast amount of ignorance, 
prejudice, and false teaching. Could the erroneous 
notions on this subject be corrected, could women be 
convinced that there is even a bare possibility of 
escaping the pains and perils of child-bed, we cannot 
believe that they would longer remain satisfied in 
ignorance, supinely submitting to the multiplied 
evils to which they are now exposed, regarding 
them as necessary and unavoidable, as a righteous 
infliction of Heaven on the whole race of women, on 
account of the transgression of the frail mother of 
mankind. And surely, surely, if the veil of igno- 
rance could be removed, if women could be con- 
vinced that freedom from the pangs and dangers of 
child-birth could be purchased by obedience to the 
laws of health, they would not knowingly and wil- 
fully subject themselves to the sufferings to which 
they are exposed in the present state of things. 

Finally let us add, that the views herein expressed 
are not hastily formed, but are the result of personal, 
observation and thorough investigation. They were 
presented before a meeting of the Georgia Medical 
Association, read in the Atlanta Academy of Medi- 
cine, published in the Atlanta Medical Journal and 
in the transactions of the above association; and 
though these views are contrary to the teachings of 



NATURAL LABOR. 337 

most physicians and clergymen, though they are 
new to most of the world, no attempt has been made 
to confute them. Neither do we believe that they 
can be successfully met. 



CHAPTER III. 
NATURAL LABOR. 



What is Natural Labor? — This question may 
be answered by saying, that all labors are natural that 
are terminated by the unaided efforts of nature. But 
writers generally apply the term " natural" to those 
cases in which the head "presents," or comes down, 
first. It should be known, however, that the coming 
down of the feet, knees, or breech of the child, is not 
necessarily attended with any very great difficulty or 
danger, so far as the mother is concerned. The natu- 
ral presentations occur in the vast majority of cases, 
and mothers may therefore take consolation from the 
fact that there is not, perhaps, more than one chance 
in a thousand for them to have one of the much- 
dreaded "cross-births," or wrong presentations. 

The Presenting- Part. — Presentation, in mid- 
wifery, means the part of the child that comes down 
and engages in the opening, or mouth of the womb. 
In most cases the head presents, which is the most 
favorable position. This part can generally be distin- 
guished by a little experience, and all women should 
endeavor to inform themselves on this point, so that 
they may know when all is right, or when assistance 
V 29 



338 NATURAL LABOR. 

is necessary. The head may be known by its round- 
ness, its hardness, and by the soft place between the 
bones called the " mould of the head." A few exami- 
nations will be worth more in determining the pre- 
sentation than a whole volume of descriptions ; and, 
as before intimated, there is no great difficulty in this, 
provided the mouth of the womb is considerably 
open ; yet it is proper to add that it is not near so 
easy as most people suppose, when only a small point 
of the child can be touched with the tip of the finger. 
Those who are unacquainted with such things seem 
to think that it is the easiest thing in the world to tell 
which end of a child comes foremost, and therefore 
they are often inclined to underrate a physician's 
knowledge because he cannot always answer their 
eager inquiries on his first examination. Head cases 
will generally terminate without any assistance, if 
there is nothing wrong on the part of the mother ; 
and the same may be said of cases where the feet, 
knees, or breech of the child comes down first. But 
as the danger of losing the child is great in these 
cases, a physician should always be called as soon as 
they are discovered. 

Time for Labor. — This important and highly 
interesting process generally commences about nine 
calendar months, or two hundred and seventy or 
eighty days from the time of the last appearance of 
the " courses." 

The time may be very closely approximated as fol- 
lows : Suppose that a woman begins to menstruate on 
the 12th April, and menstruates four days ; from 12th 
April to 12th January is nine months ; now add four 



NATURAL LABOR. 339 

days for the time in which menstruation was going 
on, and it gives 16th January; and confinement may 
"be looked for within eight days from this time, that 
is, from 16th to 24th. of the month of January. 

Causes of Labor. — The efficient cause of labor is 
the contractions of the womb ; and these contractions 
are assisted by the voluntary or bearing-down efforts 
of the woman, in which the muscles of the abdomen, 
&c, are brought into action. 

Symptoms of Approaching Labor. — Labor some- 
times comes on suddenly, without any warning ; but 
nature generally gives sufficient intimation of the 
wonder she is about to perform. The womb settles 
down for several days beforehand, and this relieves 
the crowding of the stomach and lungs : many, or all 
the dyspeptic symptoms vanish, if they had pre- 
viously existed ; the breathing is easier, and the wo- 
man feels lighter and better. But while the stomach 
and lungs are relieved by the descent of the womb, 
the bladder and lower bowels are more pressed upon; 
and hence there is a frequent desire to pass water, 
with inability to retain much in the bladder : the 
bowels are troubled with griping and straining in 
evacuating them, while the discharges are generally 
small. Another common symptom is painless con- 
tractions of the womb ; these are attended with a 
squeezing, drawing sensation, but with no particular 
pain. The immediate forerunner of actual labor is 
generally a pretty free mucous discharge from the 
womb, called a "show." As the labor progresses, this 
becomes tinged with blood. 



3-iO NATURAL LABOR. 

Stages of Actual Labor. — The "first stage'' of 
labor embraces the time occupied in dilating or 
opening the mouth of the womb; and the pain& 
accompanying this stage are called cutting or grind- 
ing pains. These pains, when true, begin very low 
down in the back and extend around to the lower 
part of the belly. They are not constant; but there 
are intervals of ease. They are generally short, 
pretty severe, and not very well borne by women, 
who are often impatient and restless under them, 
indulging in gloomy forebodings, and not unfre- 
quently making louder complaints than they do 
in the succeeding stage when the pains are really 
greater. Persons with a little experience can always 
distinguish this stage by the manner in which the 
patient complains. And it is highly important that 
all women should acquire this knowledge, as the 
woman in labor does not generally require any assist- 
ance in the first stage; nor is it often necessary to 
confine her to bed until this stage is about completed. 
In the first stage the complaints consist in noisy 
exclamations, and calls upon all around for help : 
such expressions as these are quite common: "Oh, I 
shall die ! do help me ! Can't you do something for 
me?" &c, &c. In the second stage, yet to be de- 
scribed, the manner of complaint is entirely different: 
instead of noisy complaints or screams, there is a low, 
suppressed straining grunt, like a person lifting a 
heavy weight. It is difficult to describe these things 
on paper ; but those who will use their opportunities 
of making observations to advantage, will seldom be 



NATURAL LABOR. 311 

misled in distinguishing the stage of labor by the 
manner of complaint. Not unfrequently the stomach 
becomes affected in the first stage, and there is vomit- 
ing ; but this is rather beneficial than otherwise. If 
the finger is introduced into the vagina, or passage 
to the womb, during this stage, the mouth of the 
womb will be felt more or less open, and during the 
pain a tense, smooth body will be felt pressing into 
the circle formed by the mouth. This is the " bag 
of waters;" and when this is felt, and when at the 
same time the womb can be felt drawing or con- 
tracting when the hand is placed on the belly, the 
evidence is conclusive that labor has actually begun. 
The "bag of waters" gradually enlarges the mouth 
of the womb, and generally about the time that the 
mouth is fully open, the "waters break;" but this 
sometimes occurs before the mouth is fully dilated ; 
and at other times the waters do not break until 
about the time the child is born. The mouth of 
the womb having been dilated in the first stage, the 
second, expulsive, or bearing-down stage begins. 
In this the pains are more frequent, they stay on 
longer, and are attended with a bearing-down sensa- 
tion, which gradually increases until the woman 
holds her breath and makes a violent straining effort 
during each pain ; and while the pain is on, the face 
is full and flushed. In the intervals between the 
pains, the woman is often drowsy and disposed to 
sleep. This stage is ended by the birth of the child, 
and is followed by an indescribable sense of ease and 
a gushing overflow of joy which often shows itself in 
tears, and which can be known only to mothers. The 

29* 



342 MANAGEMENT OF NATURAL LABOR. 

third stage embraces the delivery of the after-birth. 
This is sometimes expelled with the child, but gene- 
rally it remains for a short time, until the womb, 
having taken a resting spell, gently contracts and 
forces the after-birth out of its cavity. 



CHAPTEE IV. 

MANAGEMENT OF NATURAL LABOR. 

" Meddlesome Midwifery is bad." — This is a maxim 
worthy to be inscribed on the bedpost of every lying- 
in woman ; and it should be ever present to the minds 
of all physicians and people who may be called to 
attend women in labor. In a natural labor there is 
really but little to be done. The most essential thing is 
to know tvhen any difficulty arises, so that it may be 
relieved by timely interference ; but so long as things 
go right, the great remedies are time and patience. 
When an examination has been made, and the head 
is found to present or come down, we may generally 
rest satisfied that Nature will accomplish her work 
without our assistance. Women frequently make 
loud outcries, and become very impatient in the first 
stage of labor, exhorting all around them to " da 
something'' 1 for them; but we could not interfere to 
hasten delivery at this time, if we would, without 
resorting to drugs and forcing medicines, which are 
very rarely necessary, and which should never be 
used, except by the advice of a physician. All stimu 



MANAGEMENT OF NATURAL LABOR. 343 

lants, then, — even " gunpowder tea " — and all such no- 
tions, should be rejected as useless in most cases, and 
injurious in many. The practice of stretching and 
pressing a woman, which is resorted to by some igno- 
rant old women, cannot be too strongly condemned ; 
for it is likely to result in inflammation of the womb, 
and other dangerous troubles. Instead of giving 
stimulating drugs, pressing, stretching, &c, let the 
woman be encouraged by the assurance that, in all 
probability, all will be well, and that sne must trust in 
God, and exercise patience. 

Position of the Woman. — During the first stage 
she may sit, stand, lie, or walk, according to her fancy ; 
and no attempt should be made to confine her to one 
position. And even in the second stage, strict con- 
finement to bed is not necessary until the pains be- 
come strongly bearing down, and the head of the 
child begins to press upon and push out the soft parts. 
When the head is thus felt, or when the pains are 
very strong and forcing, it is best for the woman to 
take her bed lying on her back, with the knees drawn 
up. Many women have a notion that they cannot be 
delivered lying clown, and that they must sit up. This 
is a practice that is very objectionable ; for women 
who are weakly, or who are predisposed to flooding, 
or falling of the womb, are much more liable to acci- 
dents when delivered sitting up. The notion above 
alluded to should therefore, as far as possible, be 
Tesisted. 

Making the Bed. — A mattress should always be 
preferred to a feather-bed. Over the mattress several 
folds of cloth, or old quilts should be placed, so that 



3-41 MANAGEMENT OF NATURAL LABOR. 

they will be under the Lips, to receive the discharges. 
Another plan is to double the mattress, and turn it 
back, letting the hips rest on some quilts, doubled, 
and placed on the mat or sacking-bottom. This pro- 
tects the bedding more effectually, but it is objectiona- 
ble, because it requires the removal of the woman 
soon after delivery, when it is desirable that she should 
rest quietly. When a piece of oil -cloth, or a nicely- 
tanned skin, is placed beneath the quilts, it affords an 
excellent protection, while the whole can be removed 
by simply raising the hips. The bedstead should be 
so placed that there will be no difficulty in passing 
round it to give any assistance that may be necessary ; 
and it should be so arranged that it will be convenient 
to use the right hand. 

The Chamber Diet, Drinks, &c. — So numerous 
are the errors connected with the management of lying- 
in women, that we can scarcely lay down a single rule 
without coming in direct contact with some foolish 
popular absurdity, or some destructive custom which 
has been sanctified by age, and transmitted, with un- 
wavering confidence, from generation to generation. 
One of the greatest and most prevalent of these errors 
is keeping lying-in women too close. Thousands of 
women have been hurried to the grave through fear 
of " catching cold." This popular bugbear has given 
rise to the ruinous practice of shutting up women in 
labor in close-crowded rooms, and smothering them 
up in bed-clothes. We would not advocate or en- 
courage any rash exposures, but we are certain that 
women in labor cannot well have too much fresh air 
and that there is much more danger of catching a 



MANAGEMENT OF NATURAL LABOR. 315 

Jever than a cold. The lying-in chamber should be 
well aired, then. Another error, almost if not quite 
•as destructive; is the fear of debility, which leads to 
"the administration of wines, cordials, and stimulants 
during labor. These are very rarely necessary ; and 
•as the system is already in a high state of excitement, 
they are much more likely to do harm than good. 
Water should be the only drink, except in cases of 
^extreme faintness from flooding, or some depressing 
influence. The above remarks on drinks apply with 
-equal force to diet. Unless the labor is very pro- 
tracted, it is best to take no solid food at all, for the 
nervous energies are all concentrated on the womb, 
the functions of the stomach are suspended for the 
time, and consequently the food taken cannot be 
digested, and of course can do no good in the way of 
imparting strength, while it may do much harm, by 
adding to the existing excitement. 

The Bowels and Bladder. — If there is reason to 
believe that there is an accumulation of hardened 
matters in the lower bowels, or if these have not been 
well emptied a short time before the commencement 
of labor, an injection of warm water or warm gruel 
should be used in the first stage, and repeated until 
the bowels act. This will prevent a good deal of 
difficulty and uneasiness towards the termination of 
labor, and when the pains are lingering and ineffectual 
it often revives them ; and is one of the few means 
that may be safely used for making the pains stronger, 
and for hurrying the delivery. When the head of 
the child presses down on the neck of the bladder, it 
often becomes impossible to pass water ; the bladder 



346 MANAGEMENT OF NATURAL LABOR. 

should therefore be emptied before tlie labor pro- 
gresses far enough to prevent the evacuation. 

Moral Management. — This is the most important 
part of the treatment of an ordinary labor. Every- 
thing should be done to remove all sources of vexa- 
tion and annoyance ; and in doing this, even the 
whims and caprices of the woman should be respected,, 
so far as this can be safely done. At the same time- 
every effort should be made to animate her hopes, and 
inspire her with confidence. Only those that are ne- 
cessary should be permitted to remain in the room.. 
"More than these would render the air impure ; some 
could not bear the spectacle of suffering without 
reflecting the impress of it from their countenances ; 
others could not keep their tongues still, would always 
have a supply of stories of dreadful cases, and a thou- 
sand imprudent things to say ; at one while, that Mrs. 
Such-a-one was delivered of a monster, or Neighbor 
Such-a-one died with convulsions ; at another, they de- 
livered Mrs. So-and-so with instruments, &c. ; from 
tenderness, or real interest, or affectation, they grow 
quite sad, and lament over the possible consequences- 
of the lying-in ; and whisper, or talk in a low tone, 
or at least they sit gloomy and silent, and merely 
throw a furtive glance of pity towards the woman in 
labor, who, as she is almost always disposed to make 
an evil interpretation of all that is said and done about 
her, every moment looks for her sentence of death in 
remarks only half-heard, in gestures, or in the expres- 
sion of sadness and compassion she observes in her 
attendants." Who has not witnessed scenes similar 
to the one so graphically described by the celebrated 



MANAGEMENT OF NATURAL LABOR. 347 

French writer, Velpeau ? And who can estimate the 
harm that has been done in this way ? In our efforts 
to inspire confidence we should carefully guard against 
rash and delusive promises : instead of telling a wo- 
man in labor that she will certainly be delivered by a 
certain time, she should be assured (when this can be 
done) that "all is right, " and that she will, in all 
probability, be safely and speedily delivered. This 
course will prevent disappointment and loss of confi- 
dence. 

Assistance in the Last Stage. — We will now 
suppose that the first stage of labor is completed, that 
the mouth of the womb is fully open, that the pains 
are strong, and " bearing down," and that the head 
of the child is beginning to swell out the soft parts 
of the mother. "What is now to be done? Most 
writers direct that the perineum, or space between the 
front and back passage, should be supported by press- 
ing it up with the hand. This, when done properly, 
is doubtless beneficial, and tends to prevent that dis- 
tressing accident known as rupture, or tearing of the 
perineum. But at the same time it is rather a delicate 
little operation, and*if not properly performed is more 
likely to cause than to prevent the accident mentioned. 
We cannot, therefore, advise unskillful persons to resort 
to this manoeuvre. We can, however, suggest a plan 
that we have found to be as good, and perhaps better,. 
while it can be practiced without the least difficulty- 
or risk. This is simply to place the hand beneath the 
buttocks, as close to the point of the backbone as pos- 
sible, and then to press the huttocks together. This draws 
the skin around from towards the hips, and by giving; 



•3iS MANAGEMENT OF NATURAL LABOR. 

more room, of course lessens the danger of a rup- 
ture. Nothing more is necessary during this stage, 
unless it is to hold the patient's hands, and encourage 
.and assist her in her bearing-down efforts. But she 
-should never be encouraged to make these efforts 
until she feels a strong desire to do so, and as soon as 
i;he pain ceases she should desist from all effort and 
rest until the pain comes on again. Many women 
exhaust themselves in fruitless efforts by disregarding 
these rules, and they are often induced to do so 
by ignorant attendants. When the head of the child 
is born, it should be held in the hand until the body 
is expelled, but no attempt should be made to twist it 
round in any way ; it should simply be held gently 
up, while it is allowed to turn in any • direction it 
"will. 

Management of the Child. — When the child is 
born the cord may be cut and tied immediately, pro- 
vided the little stranger cries lustily. But should it 
-appear feeble, or should it not breathe, it should 
Temain united to. the mother by the cord, and the 
hand should be wet in cold water and slapped on the 
"'back and breast, and a little water may be sprinkled 
in the child's face. Should these measures not suc- 
ceed in restoring it, the nose of the child should be 
held, while the mouth of the attendant is applied to 
its mouth, and then the breath should be blown in 
pretty strongly once or twice into its mouth. As 
.-soon as the breath is blown in, in this w^ay, the mouth 
: should be removed from the child's mouth so as to 
give it a chance to breathe out. We have succeeded, 
:by the persevering application of these means, in 



MANAGEMENT OF NATURAL LABOR. 819" 

restoring children who showed no sign of life for a 
half-hour or more after birth. The cord should be tied 
about two inches from the navel, and then another 
tie should be made far enough from this to allow a 
division of the cord between the two. This division 
should be made with a pair of scissors, and then 
the child should be placed in a fold of cloth and 
removed. 

Delivery of the After-birth. — After the birth 
of the child, the next thing requiring attention is the 
delivery of the after-birth. This is not generally 
attended with any difficulty; and yet many women 
have been ruined for life by rashness and ignorance 
in finishing this the last part of labor. In delivering 
the after-birth, the rule is, never to pull at the cord 
unless the woman has some pain and bearing -dozen, and 
the womb can be felt contracting when the hand is placed 
on the lower part of the belly. The only exception to 
this rule is when the after-birth can be plainly felt in 
the vagina outside the mouth of the womb. When 
this is the case it may be removed without waiting 
for a pain. When the womb contracts it may be 
plainly felt by placing the hand on the skin over the 
womb, and it feels very much like the head of a 
child. This contraction generally comes on within 
an hour after the birth of the child, and very often 
within fifteen minutes. While it is on, one hand 
should be gently pressed on the outside over the 
womb, while the other hand draws as gently on the 
cord. As soon as the pain goes off, the pulling should 
cease until another comes on. After waiting from 
fifteen minutes to half an hour from the birth of the 

30 



"350 MANAGEMENT OF NATURAL LABOR. 

child, if the womb does not contract, or in other 
words if there is no pain, the hand may be wet in 
cold water, and applied suddenly to the skin over the 
lower -part of the belly. This will in all probability 
'Cause contractions, when the after-birth, may be safely 
removed. It is well for women to know the dangers 
to which they are exposed from imprudent and 
forcible attempts to pull away the after-birth, and 
-especially when the womb is not contracted. The 
principal of these are inversion or turning of the 
womb wrong side out, and falling of the womb. We 
have seen many women who have been ruined beyond 
remedy by the unskillful manoeuvres of ignorant 
persons in delivering the after-birth ; the least vio- 
lence should never be permitted, and if there is the 
slightest difficulty a physician should be sent for 
without delay. And while we are in favor of edu- 
cated women as midwives, we take this occasion to 
add, that no woman can safely commit herself into 
ignorant hands in any case ; and though most cases 
of labor terminate without interference, yet where 
assistance is necessary, it should be rendered with 
promptness and skill : a single false move, or an hour's 
delay, may prove fatal. In view of these facts, and in 
the absence of educated midwives, it is our honest 
opinion that it would be better to call a prudent and 
skillful physician in all cases of midwifery ; for only 
one of experience and education knows when and how 
to give assistance. 



MANAGEMENT AFTER DELIVERY. 351 



CHAPTER V. 

MANAGEMENT OF WOMEN AFTER DELIVERY. 

HOW THEY ARE GENERALLY MANAGED.-— The suffer- 
ings and dangers to which, women are exposed, after 
delivery, from numberless conceits, whims, and pre- 
judices, originating in ignorance and miseducation, 
are far greater than all the perils of natural labor. 
They are generally kept too warm, and are often 
thrown into a fever through fear of "catching cold." 
This, together with the pulling, pressing, and stretch- 
ing, to which they are not unfrequently subjected in 
labor, is no doubt often the cause of inflammation of 
the womb, and the much-dreaded child-bed fever. 
•Cleanliness is often too much neglected, through this 
same fear of cold. As incredible as it may appear, 
we have known women to go nine days without wash- 
ing the hands, face, or any part of the person, and 
without changing the clothing ! Those who thus 
manage have a stench arising from them that may 
sometimes be detected even before entering the house, 
and which would seem well calculated to breed dis- 
ease not only in the woman herself, but in all her 
attendants. Women in child-bed are generally over- 
fed and over-physicked. They are required to eat more 
than the natural wants of their systems demand, under 
the idea that they have to " eat for two ;" and they 
are dosed with all kinds of slops, drugged, sweated, 
steamed, purged, and sometimes puked and bled, with 
the view of regulating the milk and the " cleansings," 



352 MANAGEMENT AFTER DELIVERY. 

As a part of the physicking routine, they must have a 
dose of salts or oil on the day of confinement, or the- 
day after, by all means, and as a matter of course- 
On the second or third day they must have another 
dose of salts for the milk -fever, caused by the over- 
eating ; and a few days after this they will, in all pro- 
bability, be subjected to a dosing or steaming, to bring, 
back the "discharges," which have been checked 
by mismanagement, and so on to the end of the 
chapter. Now, with very few exceptions, this is all 
wrong ; if women will live right, and follow the rules; 
of health, before confinement, and those now to be 
given, they will find that they can get along much 
better, and have a much better "getting up" without 
all this drugging and dosing. 

Directions for Women after Delivery. — The- 
thing first needed by a woman, after the anxiety and 
fatigue to which she has been subjected, is rest. Just 
so soon as the worst-soiled things can be removed, and 
a bandage can be applied to the abdomen, she should 
be allowed to remain perfectly quiet, and to sleep, if 
she will. She may lie in any position that she pre- 
fers ; it is all stuff about confining a woman to her 
back, or either side. In cases of great exhaustion,, 
the removal of the soiled things, and the application 
of the bandage, should be delayed until the system 
rallies; and in all cases.it is better to defer making 
any great changes in the clothing for a day or so after 
delivery. The object is not to guard against "cold," 
but against unnecessary fatigue and exertion. A few 
words as to the bandage : — this is designed to insure- 
a firm contraction of the womb, and thus to avoid all 
danger of flooding, while it affords comfortable sup- 



MANAGEMENT AFTER DELIVERY. 353 

port to the muscles of the abdomen, and tends to pre- 
vent " pendulous belly/' or a loose, flabby, wrinkled 
condition of the abdomen. Some writers deny that 
the bandage will accomplish these ends, but we are 
satisfied that it has its advantages, and as it can do no 
harm when properly applied, we recommend it to our 
readers. It may be made simply of a strip of home- 
spun or cotton jeans, about half a yard wide ; or, 
what is better, it may be prepared beforehand, by 
making it with gores in the bottom, so that it may fit 
over the hips. This prevents the slipping up, which 
is one of the greatest difficulties in using the band- 
age. This difficulty may be effectually overcome by 
having a strip or roll of cloth to pass between the 
legs, and fasten to the bandage before and behind. 
The bandage, having been thus prepared, should be 
applied ^over the womb, and a folded towel or piece 
of cloth should be placed under the bandage, and 
immediately over the womb, so as to compress it. The 
bandage should not be applied tight enough to feel 
uncomfortable, but just so as to afford moderate and 
comfortable support. After what has been said about 
air, it is hardly necessary to say that a lyii;g-in wo- 
man should have " plenty of it." The room should be 
well aired, but at the same time strong currents should 
be avoided ; because such exposures might injure any 
one, and not because women recently delivered are 
necessarily more susceptible of cold than others. 
The bed-clothing should not be too heavy ; oppress- 
ing women in child-bed with an excessive weight of 
covering is a great evil, arising from the destructive 
fear of "cold." Cleanliness is absolutely essential to 
W 30* 



854 MANAGEMENT AFTER DELIVERY. 

the health, and comfort of lying-in women. Except 
in cases of flooding, &c, there is no necessity for the 
cold injections and the cold bandages, used so freely 
by the Hydropaths ; yet cold water may be safely 
used for washing the face and hands, and tepid injec- 
tions into the vagina, and even tepid or lukewarm 
hip-baths may be resorted to in ordinary cases, not 
only without injury, but with advantage. But whe- 
ther you use the hip-bath and injections or not, at 
any rate keep clean, by washing with water slightly 
warm. The diet of women in child-bed should be 
rather light, but nourishing. Until the secretion of 
milk is fully established, and all excitement from that 
cause has passed off^ the diet should be rather dry, 
consisting of corn-bread, rice, dry toast, crackers, 
hominy, &c. And whether a very dry diet be used 
from the beginning or not, it should be adopted with- 
out delay, if the breasts seem likely to secrete more 
milk than the child can draw off. In cases where the 
milk is scant, or where all excitement from this secre- 
tion has passed off, milk, water, gruel, chocolate, and 
hot-water tea may be added to the diet. But in our 
opinion the less that lying-in women have to do with 
coffee and " store tea" the better. 

Now, as to the physicking, we have this to say : As 
a general rule, the less the better. It is all a mistake to 
suppose that the bowels must be moved very soon 
after delivery. The lower bowel is often somewhat 
paralyzed from the pressure to which it has been sub- 
jected, and it requires time to recover its tone. The 
bowels should be attended to, and kept regular during 
pregnancy by a proper diet, and they should be well 



MANAGEMENT AFTER DELIVERY. 335 

emptied just before or during labor, by the use of 
warm- water injections, unless they act sufficiently of 
themselves, which they are very apt to do. When 
thus managed, there will be no occasion to use any 
means to move the bowels sooner than the second day 
after delivery; and then simple injections only, of 
warm water, or warm soap-suds, should be used. These 
should be repeated every hour or so, until "some : 
thing comes away," or until they fail to empty the 
bowels, which will not often be the case. Should a 
persevering use of these measures fail, then a dose of 
salts, oil, or rhubarb may be taken, but there need be 
no great hurry about resorting to these, unless there 
is feverishness, uneasiness about the bowels, or some- 
thing requiring their early evacuation. The objec- 
tions to the too early use of purgatives are these : the 
getting up and the irritation of the bowels may give 
rise to fainting, flooding, piles, and falling of the womb, 
while there can be no possible advantage, as an offset 
to these dangers, except in some cases of disease ; 
and in such cases as these the advice of a physician 
should be sought. 

HOW LONG SHOULD A WOMAN REMAIN IN BED ? — 

This will vary according to circumstances. It is all 
a notion that a woman must lie up just so many days 
or weeks ; some may get up safely the day after deli- 
very, and others would run a risk to get up when 
"the month" is out. As a* general thing, healthy, 
hearty women may be up and about before a month 
is half out, but all useless risks should be avoided. 
Whenever there is a feeling of giving way, as if some- 
thing were " about to drop down," after being on the 



356 DISEASES AND ACCIDENTS. 

feet, the woman should return to her bed; and all 
attempts at walking should be made gradually and 
cautiously. This is more particularly necessary in 
those who have been troubled before confinement 
with " whites," and falling of the womb. 



CHAPTER VI. 

SOME OF THE DISEASES AND ACCIDENTS OF LABOR 
AND CHILD-BED. 

It is not the design of this work to give instruction 
as to the management of all the difficulties and com- 
plications that may arise in labor and child-bed ; 
many of these can be safely intrusted only to those 
who are thoroughly educated, and no others should 
be allowed to attempt any of the more difficult opera- 
tions in midwifery. But accidents often happen which 
might prove fatal before assistance could be obtained, 
and fortunately many of these can be safely committed 
to domestic management, at least for a time, until 
other aid can be procured. Of such we shall briefly 
treat. 

Flooding. — This accident may occur before con- 
finement, before the birth of the child, after the birth 
of the child and before the delivery of the after-birth, 
or after the child and after-birth have both been deli- 
vered. 

The symptoms of flooding are a free discharge of 



DISEASES AND ACCIDENTS. 357 

blood from the vagina, paleness of the face, weak and 
quick pulse, faintness, swimming in the head, noises 
in the ears, weakness of the stomach, &c, &c. 

Treatment. — There are some remedies that are 
adapted to all cases of flooding, while additional 
means are necessary under certain circumstances. 
All cases may be safely treated on the plan directed 
in miscarriage. The woman should be confined to 
bed, or rather to a mattress ; the room should be cool, 
airy, and quiet. The drinks should be cold and acid ; 
in short, all the remedies prescribed in miscarriage 
are appropriate ; the tampon or plug should be used 
without hesitation, if cold cloths and all other reme- 
dies fail. Should the flooding continue, and should 
the symptoms be alarming, a physician should be 
called without delay, for in some cases the flooding 
can be checked only by hastening the delivery of the 
child, or after-birth, as the case may be. The after- 
birth sometimes grows over the mouth of the womb ; 
in such cases as these, nothing can avail but the skill 
of a physician. 

Wrong Presentations, or Cross-births. — When- 
ever it is discovered that the cord comes down 
first, or that any part of the child presents except the 
head, a physician should be called without delay. 
Foot, knee, and breech presentations are not necessarily 
dangerous to the mother, but there is great danger 
that the child will be lost for want of breath, before 
the head can be delivered, after the body is born, 
and the circulation between the mother and child is 
arrested. Therefore, these cases are no exception to 



358 DISEASES AND ACCIDENTS. 

the rule, send for a physician whenever any part of the 
child comes down first, except the head. 

Convulsions, oe "Fits." — These are among the 
most frightful and dangerous complications of labor ; 
and as their treatment should always be committed to 
a skillful physician, we only refer to what has been 
said in the chapter on "Diseases of Pregnancy." 
Until a physician can be obtained, pour cold water 
freely on the head, and keep the feet in hot water if 
possible. 

Derangements of the Lochia, and After-pains. 
— Any change in the lochia, or "cleansings," is often 
a cause of much anxiety to women. But there is 
generally but little occasion for uneasiness on this 
score. Sometimes the discharge stops, in consequence 
of child-bed fever : in such cases as these the pain, 
fever, and other symptoms, will engage the attention 
and require the attendance of a physician. Some 
women have more of this discharge, and some less : 
therefore, women should be governed more by the 
effect than by the actual quantity. Should the dis- 
charge be scant, or should it even stop entirely for 
awhile, nothing need be done to restore it, unless 
there is feverishness, pain, or fullness about the womb, 
or some other unpleasant symptom. The useless 
anxiety of mind, and the harsh measures resorted to, 
to restore the discharge, often do more harm than 
good. Should anything be required, it will generally 
be sufficient to apply cloths wrung out of hot water 
over the womb, or to use a warm hip-bath. Should 
the "cleansings" be rather free, the woman should be 
very quiet, she should remain in bed, with light cover- 



DISEASES AND ACCIDENTS. 359 

ing, drink cool acid drinks ; and avoid all kinds of 
excitement. Should this not be sufficient, the services 
of a physician will be required. Any offensiveness 
about the discharges can be prevented or removed by 
injecting and washing well with warm water and soap. 
After-pains are caused by the contractions of the 
womb; and as these contractions prevent flooding 
they are really salutary. Should the pain be excess- 
ive and persistent, it may generally be relieved by 
the application of warm cloths, as directed above, or 
by the use of warm poultices. Laudanum is often 
resorted to in these cases, but it should not often be 
used in domestic practice. The following powder is 
very good, and safer than any form of opiate. Pow- 
dered camphor half drachm, saltpetre one drachm. 
Divide into six equal parts. One everjr "hour until 
relief is obtained. 

Child-bed Fever. — -This is one of the most formi- 
dable diseases to which lying-in women are exposed. 
It consists in an inflammation of the womb, lining 
membrane of the belly, &c, and is generally caused 
by some mismanagement, or bad habits of living. 
The most frequent exciting causes are to be found in 
over-eating, indulgence in stimulating drinks, and in 
keeping too close. Among the people, it is generally 
attributed to that great bugbear and scape-goat cold; 
but it is far oftener caused by heat, and the other 
things mentioned, than by cold. The domestic prac- 
tice in such cases is confined mostly to prevention, 
which, when properly practiced, is almost always suc- 
cessful, and that is a great deal more than can be said 
of the practice of the best physicians, for the mortality 



S60 DISEASES AND ACCIDENTS. 

has been frightful. The actual treatment of this 
disease should be confined to the use of warm water 
injections ; warm foot-baths, cold to the head, if there 
be much heat, and a dose of salts if the bowels be 
very costive. These remedies may be used until the 
arrival of a physician, to whom the further manage- 
ment of the case should be committed. 

Inflammation of the Breasts, and Sore Nip- 
ples. — These are very common and disagreeable 
affections in the present mode of living. The sore 
nipples may be to some extent unavoidable, but nine- 
tenths of the cases of "broken breasts" are caused 
by mismanagement and bad habits of living. Here 
again, "cold" has to bear the blame; but heating, 
stimulating, and excessive handling and eating have 
much more to do with inflamed breasts than cold has. 
To avoid them, live on a light dry diet, as prescribed 
under the head of " Directions for Women after 
Delivery ;" continue to live thus until the milk excite- 
ment and all hardness about the breasts are fully past, 
and have the breasts well drawn with a nipple-glass, 
or what is better, with a human mouth. Dr. Bedford 
recommends a young pup in such cases, and there 
can be no doubt that this is superior to most breast- 
pumps. In addition to this, melt together equal parts 
of beeswax and tallow ; have a cloth large enough 
to cover the whole breast, dip this in the mixture, and 
apply as warm as it can be borne. This should be 
warmed and reapplied every time the breast is drawn ; 
and the cloth should cover the nipple instead of 
having a hole through it. This protects the latter, 
keeps it moist, and is one of the very best remedies 



DISEASES AND ACCIDENTS. 361 

for sore nipples. This cloth, softens the breasts, and 
one of its greatest advantages is that it prevents 
the rubbing and handling that often caiise them to 
inflame. Should the breast still" remain hard, with 
"lumps" about it; if there is no redness or tender- 
ness about these lumps, then apply the following 
liniment : Take sweet-oil, two parts ; spirits of harts- 
horn, one part. Fold a piece of flannel several times, 
moisten it in the liniment after shaking it well, and 
then apply over the hard places in the breast, and 
hold a warm iron over the flannel for ten or fifteen 
minutes, or until the breast sweats freely.. Should 
the liniment smart or redden the skin much, it should 
be weakened down by adding a little more sweet-oil. 
This application should be made at least three times 
a day until the lumps disappear, or until the breast 
becomes red and painful from the progress of the 
inflammation. The cloth first prescribed should be 
applied after the use of the iron, &c. That is, the 
cloth coated with wax and tallow. Should these 
remedies fail (which will rarely be the case, if they 
are resorted to early with a proper diet), then they 
must be left off and the following plan substituted. 
Should the skin become red and the lumps sore and 
tender, and especially if there be feverishness, with a 
throbbing pain in the breast, then take broken doses 
of Epsom salts, so as to keep the bowels well open; 
and apply cloths wet in cold water over the inflamed 
breast, and change them every half minute or minute, 
according to the amount of inflammation, until it is 
subdued. Should the pain and inflammation be very 
great, the cloths should be very thin and exposed to 

the air ; but should the inflammation be less violent, 

31 



362 DISEASES AND ACCIDENTS. 

it may do to cover the wet cloths lightly and not 
change them quite so often. In making this pre- 
scription we know that we come in direct conflict 
with the strongest kind of prejudices ; but we know 
that these prejudices are unfounded in most cases, 
and we are satisfied that there is nothing so likely to 
subdue inflammation of the breast as cold applica- 
tions. Everybody has something to " scatter risings;" 
but after inflammation has set in, the only way to 
scatter a rising is to subdue the inflammation, and we 
know of nothing so well calculated to do this as to 
avail ourselves of the direct cooling effect of cold 
water. 'We have thus treated breasts after warm 
poultices and other "scatterers" had been used without 
effect ; and though the inflammation had progressed 
too far to prevent the formation of matter, yet the pain 
ceased almost instantly, and the cavity in the' breast 
was no doubt much smaller than it would have been 
under the usual warm-poultice "scattering" treatment. 
Before a breast inflames, rubbing with stimulants, &c, 
may scatter the rising or remove the lumps ; but after 
these become inflamed, all such things are worse than 
useless, and should be wholly abandoned — while warm 
applications should never be used to an inflamed breast 
until all hope of preventing the formation of matter is 
past. Let us be distinctly understood. At first, when 
there are lumps in the breast, without redness or pain, 
then gentle rubbing and warm stimulating applica- 
tions may open the milk-ducts and cause the lumps 
to disappear ; but even in these cases there can be no 
doubt that the breast is often made to inflame by the 
very means used to scatter it. Every one that comes 



DISEASES AND ACCIDENTS. 363 

in has some favorite remedy which mast be tried; 
one prescribes poke-root poultices, another onions, and 
so on through the whole list of stimulating " yerbs," 
many of which would cause a perfectly well breast to 
inflame. Others are very partial to stimulants com- 
bined with rubbing, and they prescribe whiskey, 
brandy, spirits of turpentine, and all kinds of lini- 
ments, which together with the rubbing and handling- 
are well calculated to make the breast rise. Beware 
of these things, and be assured that the rising cannot 
be prevented by other means if the diligent use of the 
liniment and cloth first prescribed fail. And should 
inflammation take place, then there is nothing that 
can scatter the rising but something that will subdue 
the inflammation ; and there is nothing that can do 
this more effectually, and more safely than cold water. 
In using this, the feelings will be a 'safe guide ; and 
should great chilliness of the whole body come on, 
the cloths can be changed less frequently, the breast 
can be more excluded from the air ; or the applica- 
tion can, be discontinued entirely, and warm mush- 
poultices substituted when the formation of matter or 
" coming to a head" becomes unavoidable. But even 
in these cases, if the cold water gives great relief to 
the pain, and if there is nothing to require its discon- 
tinuance, it should still be used in preference to warm 
poultices ; for the cavity will be smaller and the dis- 
charge less. We would not hazard our reputation 
by giving the above treatment for inflamed breasts, 
were we not moved by deep sympathy with those 
who are exposed to this most painful affection, and 
were we not fully convinced that the plan recom- 



364 DISEASES AND ACCIDENTS. 

mended is at least as safe as any other, and the most 
certain and agreeable. 

Besides the cloth prescribed, the following wash 
may be used for sore nipples — we have found it to be 
very good : Take moderately strong red-oak bark tea 
three tablespoonfuls, laudanum a teaspoonful. Apply 
to the nipple with a soft cloth, after drawing the 
breast. If it smarts very severely, the strength can be 
reduced by adding a little water. If the cloth is not 
used, the nipples may be anointed with fresh cream 
or olive oil after this application. It is a very good 
plan to harden the nipples before confinement, by 
washing them in alum water. 

Milk Leg-. — This is a soreness and swelling of 
the leg coming on after delivery. It is an inflamma- 
tion without redness, this inflammation involving the 
blood-vessels, lymphatics, &c, of the womb. The 
milk has nothing to do with it ; and as it is an inflam- 
mation (though there is no redness), it should be 
treated very much on the same plan as other similar 
affections, with the exception of the local application 
of cold water, so useful in other forms of inflamma- 
tion. From the peculiar nature of this affection warm 
applications seem to afford most relief, in the acute or 
first stage. The local treatment in this stage should 
consist in steaming the limb, by pouring water on a 
hot brick placed underneath the leg, while the latter 
is covered with thick blankets to retain the steam. 
After the steaming, the leg should be well rubbed 
with warm whiskey or brandy; and these applica- 
tions should be repeated every three or four hours, 
or oftener if the pain be great. After the inflamma- 



DISEASES AND ACCIDENTS. 365 

tion subsides, and the woman gets about, the leg often 
remains larger than before, and it is sensitive, achy, 
and easily affected. In this state we know of nothing 
equal to cold water, followed by a good rubbing. 
The water should be applied once or twice a day, by 
sponging the limb off with a wet cloth ; and the rub- 
bing may be done with the hand or with a coarse 
towel or piece of grass-cloth. Should the limb be 
very sensitive, the water may be used a little warm 
at first. This is a safe and a most excellent plan of 
treatment, as we have proved in our own practice ; it 
acts by stimulating the diseased vessels into a new 
and healthy action. In addition to the local treat- 
ment prescribed, women with milk leg should live 
on a low diet until the inflammation subsides, and if 
the bowels are costive they should be kept open by 
broken doses of Epsom salts. 

We should have said, that in the peculiar sensitive 
condition of the leg after it has been affected, the 
application of water is very apt to increase the ach- 
ing, but this is no evidence that it is likely to do 
harm ; and the disagreeable feeling will gradually 
disappear, if the limb be ivell rubbed after each appli- 
cation of the water. It should be rubbed until it is 
all in a glow, the rubbing need not be very hard, but 
it should be very brisk. 

31* 



PART FIFTH. 



THE HYGIENE AND PRINCIPAL DISEASES 
OF CHILDREN, AND THE NURSING LIFE 
OF WOMAN. 



WHAT HAS BACH OF US TO DO WITH "THE SLAUGHTER OF THE INNOCENTS V 9 



(36t) 



CHAPTER I. 

HYGIENE OF INFANCY AND CHILDHOOD— THE 
MATERNAL LIFE OF WOMAN. 

Transmission from P arents — Influence of 
Mother's Milk. 

As has been seen in another part of this work, the 
offspring partakes of the nature of both parents, each 
one concurring in furnishing the elements of the new 
being. But the mother has the greater modifying 
power over these elements after conception, because 
the life of the child is part of her own until its birth ; 
the circulation, the very life-blood of both being com- 
mingled up to the time that the new being is ushered 
into the world. And even after this, when the child 
has to some extent, an independent existence, it is 
nourished by the milk of the mother, a secretion that 
is much influenced as to quantity and quality by her 
mental and bodily condition, and which must, of 
course, exert a corresponding influence over the 
child. And the transmitting and modifying power 
of parents, above alluded to, embraces not only 
original qualities or peculiarities, but extends also to 
those that are acquired by indulgence in bad habits 
on the part of the parents. 

The offspring is composed of the very essence of 
each parent as he or she is actually constituted at the 

The articles in this chapter are republished with some additions, partly from 
the first edition of this work, and partly from our " Health Department" in Go- 
dey's Lady's Book. 

x (369) 



370 HYGIENE OP INFANCY. 

time of conception. Thus we see that the health 
and the moral and the physical constitution of the 
child depend, to a great extent, on the health and 
the mental and bodily state of the father or mother, 
at the time the infant germ is sprung into life ; and 
that the continuance of its health, and even its future 
disposition, are greatly influenced by the health and 
state of mind of the mother during pregnancy. 
Some examples of this are given on page 280. 

And after the birth of the child, the same control- 
ling power is exerted by the mother, through her 
milk, which is subject to great changes from bad 
habits, or any causes which tend to impair her 
health. At the same time, it is liable to be poisoned 
by the direct introduction into the blood of stimu- 
lants, and narcotics taken as medicines ; or by im- 
proper food, want of exercise, or any other habits 
which derange the secretions. 

How can a mother expect to rear healthy chil- 
dren when her stomach, brain, nerves, blood, and 
every part of her body is affected by the excessive 
use of tea, coffee, spirits and snuff? 

And how can gluttonous whiskey-drinking and 
tobacco-chewing and tobacco-smoking fathers beget 
healthy children ? Is it possible for a child to be 
healthy when it is begotten by disease from disease, 
when it is nourished by disease during its sojourn in 
the womb of a diseased mother, and when it con- 
tinues to drink in disease from this mother in all the 
earlier parts of its life ? No, the decree has gone 
forth and cannot be abrogated, that parents who 
violate the laws of health will not only suffer in their 
own persons, but that their iniquities will be visited 



HYGIENE OF INFANCY. 371 

" upon the children unto the third and fourth gener- 
ation." 

For if actual disease be not transmitted, there will ' 
be a hidden weakness inherited from the parents that 
will render the unfortunate child extremely subject 
to the invasion of disease, while it will sink under 
attacks through which it might otherwise have 
safely passed. And even if the child fortunately 
escapes or resists inherited disease, it can hardly es- 
cape contracting disease from the poisoned milk of 
an unhealthy mother. 

But we cannot enlarge on this subject, but must 
rest satisfied with these few hints, which will at 
least show the importance of obedience, on the part 
of wives and mothers, to the hygienic precepts con- 
tained in this work. 

One word only as to parental responsibility. The 
responsibilities of parents in this matter are of the 
gravest character — when properly viewed they are 
awful ; and it is high time for them to begin to ask^ 
What has each of us to do with this " slaughter of the 
innocents t" For, it cannot be denied that many of 
these children are murdered — ignorantly, it may be, 
but nevertheless murdered. It will not do to say that 
God ushers thousands of children into the world 
every year for the express purpose of removing them 
that same year. It is true, that God may make this 
evil subservient to good, by the wise adaptation of 
his Providence in special cases, as he did the sin of 
Joseph's brethren ; yet, when we violate the laws of 
health we murder ourselves and our children ; and 
unless God mercifully overlook our ignorance, our 
case is indeed an awful one. 



372 HYGIENE OF INFANCY. 



Washing and Bathing Children — Dressing 
the Cord. 

The first thing after the removal of the child from 
the mother is the washing. This should be done 
with simple warm water, to which a little soap may 
be added, if the child is much coated over. But in 
such cases, it is better to grease the skin thoroughly 
with sweet oil, butter or lard, before washing, and 
not try to remove all the coating at first, for fear of 
irritating the skin too much. But the child can 
hardly be made so perfectly clean in this way, as to 
render the washing unnecessary, as intimated by a 
late popular writer. Neither is there any danger of 
cold from the use of water of a proper temperature, 
and in a room sufficiently warm, as the same writer 
asserts. 

Children should be accustomed to the use of water 
from their very birth, using it at first milk-warm, 
and gradually reducing the temperature as they be- 
come accustomed to the bath. This bath should be 
repeated every day. 

We are aware that the notion is quite prevalent 
that children, like pigs, thrive best in dirt. Now we 
do not think it possible to keep the little fellows 
as nice as a new pin, without subjecting them to 
restraints and annoyances that would more than 
counteract the benefits to be derived from cleanli- 
ness, however desirable and important this may be. 
What we advocate is simply this : Let them run, 
romp, roll, kick and tumble during the day, allowing 
them all the freedom compatible with a due regard 



HYGIENE OF INFANCY. 373 

for life and limb. Every night, let tliem be washed 
all over, let the clothing worn during the day be laid 
aside, and let them be put to bed in clean, dry night- 
clothes. 

Infants — say for the first month of their exist- 
ence — should be washed in water milk- warm. After 
the first month, if the child is stout and hearty, the 
temperature of the water should be gradually re- 
duced until the water used for the nightly ablutions 
is about the temperature of ordinary well or spring 
water when freshly drawn. Cold water, with a little 
soap, is sufficiently cleansing, while there is nothing 
to equal it in its tonic, reactive, and invigorating 
effects on the whole system. The skin is not only 
freed from all impurities and the pores opened, but 
the reactive glow following the application of the 
cold water causes a strong determination or rush of 
blood to the cutaneous vessels, thus driving out 
through the open pores all hurtful matters that may 
have accumulated in any part of the body. This 
reactive action of cold water is particularly well cal- 
culated to prevent any undue flow of blood to the 
mucous membranes ; and hence cold bathing is the 
best of all protectives against coughs, colds, croups, 
bowel-complaints, and all that long list of much- 
dreaded diseases that are so fatal to infancy and 
childhood. 

In the use of cold water as directed, no harm can 
.result, with due attention to the strength and the re- 
active powers of the child ; but care should be taken 
not to overdo the thing. The temperature of the 
water should be reduced by degrees ; and, should 

32 



374 HYGIENE OE INFANCY. 

chilliness, coldness of the surface, paleness of the 
face, languor, or depression continue for any length 
of time after the bath or washing, warmer water 
should be immediately substituted, and used until 
the reactive powers become stronger. On the con- 
trary, should the cold water produce an agreeable 
glow, a pleasant, diffusive warmth, and a rosy blush 
over the whole surface, it maybe continued, not only 
without injury, but with the most happy effects on 
the health and happiness of the child. 

Children thus judiciously managed will, as a gen- 
eral rule, be lively, healthy and sweet-tempered, and r 
so far from dreading cold water, will be as fond of 
it as a duck, and about as little likely to be injured 
by it as any aquatic fowl or animal. In short, next 
to exercise and pure air, the best thing in childhood 
is cold water, when judiciously used. As to the 
mode of application, the form of a bath or immer- 
sion is preferable. The body should be immersed 
up to the arm-pits in a basin or tub, and gently rub- 
bed with the palms of the hands, say from three to 
five minutes. The body should be then dried as 
quickly as possible with a moderately coarse towel, 
by passing the towel rapidly, but lightly, over the 
whole surface, until a glow of redness is perceived. 
The clothing for the night should then be put on 
without delay. 

The advantages of a bath are that the body is less 
exposed to the chilling effects of cold air, the water 
is applied more thoroughly to the whole surface, and 
the child is not subjected to the disagreeable process 
of being dabbed and scrubbed with a cold, wet rag, 



HYGIENE OF INFANCY. 375 

which, by the way, is one of the greatest troubles of 
infancy, and something well calculated to give any 
one fits of hydrophobia. Too well do we remember 
the weekly scourings of a rough and relentless nurse, 
in the form of a strapping negro woman, who, with 
both hands, exercised herself on our skin as she would 
have done on a wash-board ; and had these scrub- 
bings been repeated every day, instead of every week, 
there is a strong probability that this corporosity 
would have been minus the usual covering. 

It should be borne in mind that a cold bath should 
not be used soon after a meal or while the body is 
fatigued. At least an hour should intervene between 
the meal and the bath, and the body, when ex- 
hausted, should be allowed sufficient time to rest 
and recover its natural condition before cold water 
is applied to the surface. Yet it should at the same 
time be remembered that moderate exercise, even to 
perspiration, but not to fatigue, is one of the best 
preparations for a cold bath, and, except friction, 
after the bath, the best of all means to secure vigor- 
ous and speedy reaction. 

It is hardly necessary to add that, besides the 
nightly ablutions above advocated, strict attention 
should be given, during the period of infancy, to the 
speedy removal of any accidental impurities about 
the clothing or body. Finally, we conclude with a 
quotation from an old writer, which we hope all 
mothers will commit to memory. "I consider bath- 
ing," says he, " as the grand arcanum of supporting 
health, on which account, during infancy, it ought 
to be regarded as one of those sacred maternal duties 



376 HYGIENE OF INFANCY. 

the performance of which should on no account be 
neglected for a single day." 

But to return to our baby. 

After washing, the next thing is dressing- the cord. 
This simple operation is thus performed: Take a 
piece of soft cotton or linen cloth, cut a hole in the 
centre for the remains of the cord, and pass the lat- 
ter through the hole. The cloth may be greased 
where it touches the skin. This piece of cloth may 
be large enough to turn up and wrap around the 
cord, or the latter may be enveloped in another piece 
of cloth. Over the whole apply a soft " belly band ;" 
but be careful not to have it too tight, lest it cause 
the child to throw up its milk by compressing the 
stomach. It might also interfere with the breathing. 
Children are often, doubtless, injured by inattention 
to this little matter. 

Clothing of Children. 

In the dress of infants and older children the three 
great essentials are lightness, warmth and looseness. 
It should be light so as not to oppress by its weight ; 
warm, because children cannot generate heat like 
older persons ; and loose, so that every part of the 
body may move and grow without the least restraint. 
Children should' not be kept too warm — a common 
error. Many physicians advise flannel next the skin ; 
this is objectionable, because it excites the tender 
skin too much. As a general rule, it is better to 
have a soft cotton or linen garment next the skin, 
and the woollen covering over this. 

The arms and le^s of children should be well cov- 



HYGIENE OF INFANCY. 377 

ered. The " hardening" process has destroyed many- 
children. What sense is there in exposing the arms, 
legs and breasts of children when these parts are 
always to be covered in after life ? unless, perchance, 
it may be necessary for a girl to display her fair pro- 
portions at some evening party. 

Caps for babies used to be quite common, but the 
injurious custom has, we think, been abandoned. It 
is to be hoped it will never again be resumed. 

Head and Hair of Infants. 
The prevalent practice of bathing the heads of in- 
fants in spirits or some other stimulating wash should 
be discontinued, because it can do no good, while it 
must cause unnecessary pain and a degree of irrita- 
tion that is very likely to result in disease of the 
lender scalp. All that are needed to cleanse the 
scalp are soap and water and a soft brush. The 
brush with the water will remove any accumulation 
of dandruff; and in the use of the brush there is less 
danger of scratching and irritating the scalp than 
there is with a comb. The hair, both in boys and 
girls, should be kept short until they re° -\h the age 
of eight or nine years. This will conduce to cleanli- 
ness ; it will save a vast deal of trouble and vexation 
in the way of combing and washing ; and, by keep- 
ing the head cool, will serve to counteract the strong 
predisposition to brain affections to which children 
are so liable. By thus managing the hair of chil- 
dren it will be smooth and glossy, sores and disgust- 
ing accumulations on the scalp will be prevented, 

trouble will be saved, and the health and comfort 

32* 



378 HYGIENE OP INFANCY. 

of the child and the happiness of the mother will be 
vastly promoted. 

Food and Drinks of Children. 

Very soon after its birth the child should be put 
to the mother's breast, for several reasons. This 
causes the mother's womb to contract, and thus ob- 
viates the danger of internal hemorrhage. The 
mother is also protected from the evils arising from 
a sudden and inordinate accumulation of milk, while 
the child can take the nipple better than when the 
breast is distended, and the latter is not so likely to 
become sore. 

But the greatest benefit accrues, perhaps, to the 
child by keeping sugar teats, fat meat, etc., out of 
its mouth. 

Diet before Weaning. — Milk is the only natural 
and proper food for infants and young children; 
nature does not afford, nor can art supply, a substi- 
tute. As a general rule, the mother's milk should 
be the only food of an infant until the teething is 
completed, or, in other words, until nature indicates 
her readiness to dispose of more solid nutriment, by 
the appearance of a full set of teeth. And let it not 
be supposed for a moment that milk is drink only y 
and not food ; for by reason of the butter, casein, and 
other solid ingredients that enter into its composi- 
tion, it, when in a natm^al condition, contains all the 
elements necessary to the growth and development 
of every part of the child ; it contains everything 
requisite for building up the nervous, muscular and 
every other tissue, and also earthy matters and salts 



HYGIENE OF INFANCY. 379 

to give solidity to the bones ; and nature, in her wise 
arrangements, has not neglected to furnish this 
highly compound nourishment with heat-generating 
materials for the purpose of warming the bodies of 
her tender charge, through the chemical changes 
that occur in the act of respiration. 

The mistaken notion that nature does not under- 
stand her business, that the food furnished by her is 
not sufficiently nutritious, and that we can improve 
On her handiwork, has been largely influential in 
originating and in perpetuating the ruinous practice 
of stuffing young children with all kinds of vile com- 
pounds of flour, meat, wine, etc., in the form of pap, 
panada, soup, gruel, and — what not? Under this 
absurd and unnatural process of feeding, the little 
unfortunate, whose stomach is entirely incapacitated 
for such things, gets sick with a bowel complaint ; 
has gripings, disturbed sleep, watery discharges ; 
loses flesh, becomes jaundiced, and dies, a poor, piti- 
ful, emaciated skeleton, notwithstanding, or rather 
because of all the nourishing compounds with which 
it has been so diligently plied ; and, alas ! the evil is 
not traced to its proper source, but is b : d on teeth- 
ing, worms, cold, "thrush ;" or the deluded mother, 
in her mistaken piety, consoles herself with the idea 
that it is a " mysterious dispensation of Providence," 
for which she is in no way responsible, and to which 
she must submit with Christian resignation. And 
thus do the little innocents perish day after day and 
year after year, and thus are one-half or more of the 
children who come into the world every year re- 
moved that same year. 



380 HYGIENE OF INFANCY. 

It appears to us that reason and observation would 
convince every one that we do not exaggerate on 
this point ; and we trust that many will be induced 
to abandon the practice on which we have animad- 
verted ; but we fear that there are some who are so 
blinded by the prejudices of education, and by a false 
process of reasoning, that they will still persist in 
their errors. Some will be ready to exclaim: "Why, 
the man is mad ; my mother fed me on fat meat, and 
gave me whatever I wanted, and I am alive and well 
even to this day ; and more than this, I am the 
mother of children, and these have been raised after 
the same fashion, and they, too, are alive and hearty." 

But, my clear madam, have you never known men 
to drink spirits and use tobacco all their lives, and 
yet, by virtue of a vigorous constitution, be able to 
resist for a long time the influence of these destruc- 
tives, and live to an old age ? And what does all 
this prove ? Certainly not that alcohol and tobacco 
are not injurious. These cases only show that some 
constitutions can withstand destructive influences 
better than others, while there is every probability 
that those who long resist them would in their ab- 
sence live to a very great age. In short, they only 
prove that some people are harder to kill than-others. 
So of your children ; because your stuffing and im- 
proper feeding do not kill them, it is no proof that 
such things are not wrong ; and though the children 
may have survived and gradually become accustomed 
to the unnatural excitement to which you have sub- 
jected them, we venture the assertion that in most 
cases nature violently rebelled against such a course, 



HYGIENE OF INFANCY. 381 

arid that she was conquered through great tribula- 
tion. 

In proof of this, we ask you to cast your minds 
back on the past, and to review those sad days and 
nights of weary watching, when you hung over the 
couch of little Johnnie, and Charlie, and Susie, when 
they had that " dreadful bowel complaint," or when 
they writhed in convulsions, or sunk in the deep 
su por of brain fever. And let me ask, Why all 
this ? Are convulsions, and bowel complaints, and brain 
fevers natural to children ? must they have them as a 
matter of course? Surely not — and yet how few 
escape these diseases, or some others ! 

These questions and answers lead us inevitably to 
the conclusion that the vast majority of the diseases 
of infancy are the result of mismanagement, and 
among the numerous errors that exist, improper 
feeding is perhaps of all others the most destructive. 

As before stated, the mother's milk, or diluted 
cow's milk, is all that is required for infants until 
the teething has made considerable progress ; and 
where the mother or nurse is vigorous and healthy, 
and the child appears to thrive well, we think it de- 
cidedly best to confine it to milk until the teething 
is com dieted. Most of the difficulties of the much 
dreaded and too often fatal period of teething are 
caused by stuffing children with meat and all kinds 
of improper food ; of this we shall have more to say 
hereafter. If any food besides milk is allowed the 
first year, it should be of the lightest and most un- 
irritating nature, such as rice, arrowroot, tapioca, 
crackers or biscuit crust grated in milk, and, per- 



382 HYGIENE OF INFANCY, 

haps, occasionally chicken soup or some other animal 
broth, not too much impregnated with grease. These 
may be admissible, and even requisite in some cases ; 
but we repeat that as a general rule it is best and 
safest to restrict infants the first year to milk. The 
above remarks apply more especially to food. la 
the way of drinks, water alone is admissible, and 
this should not be withheld. During the first four 
or five months, the watery part of the milk will gen- 
erally be sufficient to allay an infant's thirst, and 
especially if its system is not excited by any improper 
food on its own part, or on the part of its mother ; 
but under the excitement and discharges from teeth- 
ing water is most grateful, and, indeed, indispensable. 

Infants often Suffer for Water, and for want 
of knowledge of this fact, ineffectual attempts are 
often made to silence their cries by feasting or nurs- 
ing, when a few spoonfuls of cool water would act 
like a charm in quieting the little sufferer. This 
should be borne in mind by mothers ; and, as chil- 
dren may experience thirst at a very early period, 
and as water may be safely given to them at all ages, 
under almost all circumstances, care should be taken 
to supply them with it. 

"When it has been decided to wean an infant, the 
quantity of food should be gradually increased, by 
way of preparing it for the change ; but still the diet 
should be plain and simple, moderate in quantity 
and restricted to a few articles, and pretty much 
such as those above mentioned. 

Diet after Weaning. — After a child has been 
weaned, it should be restricted for some time to the 



HYGIENE OF INFANCY. 383 

light, bland, semi-fluid preparatory vegetable diet al- 
ready recommended. After continuing for three or 
four months the rice, arrowroot, grated crackers, 
and other things mentioned under the head of "Food 
and Drinks before "Weaning," soft-boiled eggs, rice 
pudding, hominy, and syrup or molasses may be 
added by way of variety. 

It is a common error to have the food of infants 
too concentrated, too much divested of those husky, 
innutritious matters that are necessary to the proper 
performance of the functions of the bowels. After the 
laxness and irritation from teething have subsided, 
Graham flour, mush, hominy, potatoes, squashes, 
stewed or baked apples, etc., etc., are much better 
than fine flour, farina, starch, fine sugar, and all such 
concentrated food so much used. 

Another error very prevalent is the mistaken no- 
tion that growing children require a great deal of 
meat to sustain them. Many mothers commence 
stuffing their children with meat — and that the 
worst kind of meat, fat bacon and pork — even be- 
fore weaning, and before nature has provided teeth 
for chewing solid food; indeed, with some people, 
bacon and collards are the staple articles of food for 
men, women and babies. No wonder that children 
thus fed are very liable to bowel affections, convul- 
sions, fevers, foul eruptions, and severe inflamma- 
tions from the slightest injury or exposure! And 
children thus raised are not only exposed to all kinds 
of aches, pains, cramps, and an endless train of phy- 
sical derangements, but mental and moral deteriora- 
tion must ensue from such a course. A sound mind 



384 HYGIENE OF INFANCY. 

cannot exist in an unsound body — in a child, at any 
rate ; and a child who is forever sick and puny must, 
as a necessary consequence, become fretful and ill- 
tempered ; and, " feeling bad, will act bad," to use 
the language of a late popular writer, " in spite of 
good counsel, parental authority, the nurse's lullaby, 
or the barbarian's rod." These things are worthy 
the most serious consideration of parents who 
" would train up a child in the way in which he 
should go." 

Physical and moral health are, with very few ex- 
ceptions, inseparably connected, and mothers cannot 
reasonably expect to raise bright, sweet-tempered 
children when the habits of the latter are such that 
they must inevitably be tortured with multiplied 
and intolerable physical disorders. A very few men 
and women, fortified by all the aid that philosophy 
and religion can give, may be able to maintain their 
moral integrity under such Job-like trials, but for a 
child no such hope can be entertained. The conclu- 
sion of the whole matter, then, is, that a vegetable 
diet is best for infants, and for children after wean- 
ing, and even to adult age. When a child reaches 
the age of three or four years, solid animal food, such 
as beef, mutton, chicken, etc., may be allowed ; but 
we are satisfied from personal observation in our own 
family, that children can do as well, or better, 
without any kind of meat even at this age. In our 
opinion it is time enough to give a child meat when 
he engages in active labor ; and even then his principal 
food should consist of milk, eggs and vegetables, 
using this last word in its most comprehensive sense, 



HYGIENE OF INFANCY. 385 

and not confining it by any means to the productions 
of the garden. 

The reason for this is the well-established fact that 
all children and young persons are peculiarly prone 
to inflammatory affections, and hence the propriety 
of having their diet to consist principally of cooling 
vegetables, instead of strong, heating meats. ; As to 
the nutritiveness of a vegetable diet, there need be 
no fears ; in the various productions of the vegetable 
world nature has furnished an abundant supply of 
all the elements necessary to sustain " growing" per- 
sons, and all others* 

A word in conclusion on the 

Effects of Tea and Coffee on Children. — The 
common practice of allowing children two or three 
cups of strong coffee or tea at each meal cannot be 
too strongly condemned. We have already seen 
that these drinks are narcotic stimulants, producing 
effects on the brain and nerves like those of opium. 
Now, in children the nervous system is highly ex- 
citable, and the use of such beverages as tea and 
coffee increases greatly the tendency to convulsions 
and other grave affections originating in over-excite- 
ment of the brain and nerves. If a child be trained 
physically in the way in which he should go, if 
proper attention be paid to air, exercise, clothing, 
diet and cleanliness, there will be no necessity for 
any artificial excitants to drive the vital machinery, 
except in cases of hereditary or congenital weakness ; 
and even these original constitutional defects can be 
much better removed by a judicious observance of 
the rules of hygiene than by the administration of 
y 33 



386 HYGIENE OF INFANCY. 

all the nervines, stimulants and tonics of the whole 
Materia Medica. The fact is, stimulants and tonics 
can never, of themselves, build up and restore an en- 
feebled body ; they can only assist nature in her 
efforts for a season, until she has time to draw sup- 
plies from the only true, lasting and abiding sources 
of health and strength — from the hygienic agents, 
air, food, etc., etc. 

Raising Children by Hand and Weaning. 

These are so intimately connected with the food 
of children, that they may be properly considered 
here. 

Time for Weaning. — As a general rule, the time 
for weaning is when the child is about a year old ; 
but mothers should be governed more in this matter 
by the degree of general development and the pro- 
gress of the teething than by the number of months. 
Unless there is something in the condition of the 
mother imperatively requiring it, the child should 
not be weaned until nature shows her readiness to 
set up for herself, by exhibiting a mouth pretty well 
filled with teeth. It is well known, that the teeth- 
ing period is not fixed with any definiteness — that it 
commences much earlier and progresses much more 
rapidly in some children than in others ; and, as the 
indications of nature should always be our guide as 
far as possible, we should be governed in deciding 
upon the propriety of weaning more by the teeth 
chan by the age. 

It is also well known, that the heat of summer 
strongly predisposes to " summer complaint " and 



HYGIENE OF INFANCY. 387 

other fatal affections of infancy ; and, as exciting 
causes in the form of improper or excessive eating 
are much more likely to come into play after a child 
is weaned, the summer season should, as far as possi- 
ble, be avoided in weaning. 

To do this, the infant should be weaned some time 
before the beginning of warm weather, so as to be- 
come accustomed to a change of diet, or the wean- 
ing should be postponed until the heat of summer 
has passed. Mothers are not justifiable in subject- 
ing their children to the dangers of summer weaning 
without very good cause. Still we must say, that if 
a child could have pure country air, and if its diet 
could be properly regulated, it might be as well and 
safely weaned in summer as at any other season. As 
things are generally managed, weaning is indeed at 
all times rather a critical process with children ; but 
with proper attention to the circumstances passed in 
review, and especially to pure air and proper diet, all 
danger from this source may in general be obviated. 

But as the mother may be compelled at any 
time to wean her child, wholly or partially, on ac- 
count of insufficiency of milk, or ill health, the fol- 
lowing directions are given : 

In the present unphysiological mode of living, 
there are not a few women who are so feeble and 
delicate that they are incompetent to afford a suffi- 
ciency of pure and healthful nutriment for their 
offspring ; but the difficulty both as to quantity and 
quality can generally be obviated by a change of 
habits, and a more correct manner of living. True, 
there are consumptive, scrofulous and dyspeptic 



388 HYGIENE OF INFANCY. 

women, who have inherited their diseases, or who 
have sinned against their bodies beyond redemption, 
and who are, therefore, irremediably diseased. Yet 
these cases, though, alas, too numerous, are compara- 
tively few ; they are but a fraction when compared 
-^with the vast numbers who are diseased as a conse- 
quence of their own misdoings, and to whom health 
and strength are yet possible, by forsaking the error 
of their ways. And this forsaking of bad habits is 
the true and proper course for all mothers whose 
milk is insufficient in quantity, or impure in quality. 
This much they owe to themselves, because in no 
other way can they promise themselves health and 
long life ; they owe it to their children, because 
nothing is so conducive to the health and happiness 
of an infant, as to draw its nutriment from its 
mother's breast ; while no mother who lives in 
habitual violation of the laws of her being, can afford 
an abundance of pure and healthy milk. 

Mothers Should Nurse their Children. — Surely 
no woman who will honestly inquire, " What is my 
duty in this respect ?" and who will then follow the 
dictates of her own better judgment, and the ma- 
ternal promptings of her own heart, will for a mo- 
ment think of committing her precious charge into 
the hands of a stranger, when this can possibly be 
avoided. And yet — with sorrow we record it — there 
are mothers who are so subservient to the requi- 
sitions of a spurious and unnatural civilization, so 
misled by the seductive charms of the fashionable 
world, that they disregard the high and sacred obli- 
gations imposed on them by the God of nature,, and 



HYGIENE OF INFANCY. 389 

forego those sweet maternal joys which none but a 
loving, natural, nursing mother can feel, and which 
are as far superior to the frothy pleasures of fash- 
ionable life as the real and natural are to the false 
and artificial ; as superior as the works of the Au- 
thor of all wisdom are to the vain inventions of 
fallible, deluded men ; as high above the hollow con- 
ventionalities and the so-called pleasures of the fash- 
ionable world as the heavens are high above th^ 
earth. Maternity has its peculiar pains and trials, 
but there is a just compensation in all things ; and 
the tender, dutiful mother who watches around the 
couch of her sleeping infant, who ministers to all its 
wants herself, has pleasures peculiarly her own, and 
pleasures so pure, so holy, so exalted as to beggar 
description. Well might Mrs. Welby say, in one of 
her sweet strains : — 

" For 'tis a sight that angel ones above 

May stoop to gaze on from their bowers of bliss. 
When Innocence upon the breast of Love 
Is cradled, in a sinful world like this." 

A mother who fails, without good cause, to dis- 
charge her maternal obligations, may escape some of 
the cares incident to the rearing of children ; but at 
the same time she deprives herself of the greatest 
enjoyments of which the human heart is susceptible, 
and she is guilty of criminal injustice to her offspring ; 
which must weigh heavily on her conscience, and 
dash with bitterness all the pleasures of her life ; 
and which, in many cases, must result in the moral 
or physical destruction of her child, with a lifelong 
train of unavailing regrets over the sad consequences 
of her own folly and want of faithfulness. 

33* 



390 HYGIENE OF INFANCY. 

What are the joys of a dutiful mother ? 'Tis hers 
to note the sweet unfoldings of the bud of promise 
that nestles in her breast ; 'tis hers to watch the first 
dawnings of intelligence ; to aid the mind's develop- 
ment ; to minister to the body ; to guard the morals ; 
to calm with gentle strain the rising storm of pas- 
sion ; and then, when sleep has sealed the eyelids of 
her precious charge, she can gaze with ravishing de- 
light on the sweet smile that plays on the lips of the 
little dreamer ; and, as she sits and sings, and thinks 
of the beautiful legend of angel visitants, she can 
almost see the bright forms that hover around ! Is 
it possible that mothers will forego such pure, such 
heavenly joys as these for the fleeting and unsub- 
stantial pleasures of the ball-room ? Can it be that 
they will forsake the very precinct of heaven for the 
crowded perlieus of fashionable dissipation ? Will 
a mother who desires to discharge the sacred obliga- 
tions imposed on her commit her infant to a hireling, 
who can never feel a mother's care, who cannot and 
will not perform a mother's part ? A hired nurse 
may, indeed, furnish food for the neglected and well 
nigh motherless little one, but she will never minister 
to its mental, spiritual and physical necessities with 
the tender solicitude of a mother. When the mis- 
guided parent is absent on her giddy rounds of fash- 
ionable folly, her poor babe will often suffer from the 
carelessness and indifference of the nurse ; will often 
writhe in pain from the harsh inflictions prompted 
by petulence and impatience ; and then, in all proba- 
bility, the scene of cruel mistreatment will close for 
the night with a large dose of some stupefying drug, 



HYGIENE OF INFANCY. 391 

which sinks the little unfortunate into a deep, un- 
natural slumber that may prove the sleep of death, 
and which, if often repeated, must inevitably result 
in impaired health and an early grave. Thousands 
of children are thus drugged to death every year. 
But, if the tender feelings of a mother to her babe 
will not induce her to nurse it, perhaps she may be 
influenced by the consideration, that this is one of 
the most safe and effectual means of preventing a 
too rapid increase of family. Besides all this, 

Kaising Children by Hand is attended with great 
difficulty and danger, even under the most favorable 
circumstances of private life, where all the attention 
can be concentrated on a single child ; in hospitals 
the mortality among children thus raised has been 
truly frightful, amounting to forty, fifty, sixty, and 
even eighty and ninety per cent. We advise all 
mothers, then, to be very cautious in adopting this 
expedient ; and it should not be done under any cir- 
cumstances without medical advice. Send for a 
physician ; give him the whole history of your case ; 
have him to examine you carefully ; and then, if he 
decide that you are laboring under some serious con- 
stitutional disease that forbids your nursing in jus- 
tice to yourself and child, you may attempt to raise 
by hand, or by hiring a wet-nurse, but not otherwise. 
In consulting your physician, be sure to tell him all 
your present and previous habits, ask his opinion as 
to their nature and tendency, review them all care- 
fully yourself, study the laws of health, impartially 
consider the effects of your habits in the light of 
your own experience ; and, with the knowledge thus 



392 HYGIENE OF INFANCY. 

obtained, you will be prepared to perform your duty. 
Should a mother decide that it is necessary to feed 
her infant by hand, it is highly important that this 
should be done in the Best possible manner. This 
we will endeavor to give. Next to the mother's 
milk, the best food, all things considered, is a mix- 
ture of cow's milk and water, sweetened with sugar. 

The milk should be good, rich, unskimmed, un- 
boiled, and should, as far as practicable, be obtained 
from the same cow ; and, as an essential to the 
wholesomeness of her milk, this cow should be fed 
on natural, healthful, vegetable diet, and not on dis- 
tillery slops and other vile preparations, which are 
quite common in city life, and which are doubtless a 
prolific cause of disease, both among children and 
adults. The cow should also be allowed free exer- 
cise, and should not be stabled and stall-fed after the 
fashion too common in cities. The milk thus ob- 
tained should be diluted, at first with two parts of 
water to one of milk, and should be sweetened with 
the best loaf-sugar, putting in of the last about as 
much as the mixture will dissolve. But should there 
be a tendency to diarrhoea, the quantity of sugar 
should be reduced. 

How to Give the Milk. — The food having been 
prepared according to the above directions, it should 
be given moderately or mz7&-warm, through a suck- 
ing-bottle, holding about the quantity requisite for 
each feeding. By having the bottle of the required 
size, waste will be avoided without the necessity for 
pouring the warm milk back into the vessel contain- 
ing the milk j and thus will the latter be preserved 



HYGIENE OF INFANCY. 393 

from sourness, which should be strictly guarded 
against by keeping the main supply of milk perfectly 
clean, unmixed with anything else until wanted, and 
as cool as possible. As a sucking-bottle for young 
children, there is nothing better than an eight-ounce 
vial. The mouth of this should be stopped with a 
roll of cloth, and through this should pass a goose- 
quill. The quantity of milk passing through the 
quill can be readily increased or diminished by hav- 
ing more or less of the cloth over the external end 
of the quill, as occasion may demand. This simple 
apparatus answers every purpose, and is fully equal 
to any costly sucking-bottle to be obtained from th,e 
drug stores. In using this, the stopper cloth should 
be frequently changed, the bottle should be well 
washed every time it is used, and, in short, every 
precaution should be observed to prevent the least 
sourness of the milk. 

While the quill and cloth are excellent, and acces- 
sible to all, some may find it more convenient to use 
an artificial nipple made of India rubber. This is a 
little conical instrument that can be slipped over the 
mouth of the feeding bottle, and is a very complete 
substitute for the maternal organ. This, like every- 
thing else connected with baby-feeding, should be 
kept very clean, and more especially as the India 
rubber is rather inclined to become offensive to the 
smell and taste. 

When to Give the Milk. — All children, whether 
raised by hand or not, should have their food at 
regular intervals. A very large proportion of the 
colics, diarrhoeas, and other disorders so common in 



394 HYGIENE OF INFANCY. 

infancy, is caused by the common practice of gorging 
and stuffing at all hours. Let the little fellow cry 
from any cause whatever, even from the repletion of 
a previous feeding — which is often the case — and re- 
course is had immediately to the breast or bottle. 
This is all wrong. The process of digestion is truly 
very rapid in infancy, but still it requires some time, 
and trouble must ensue from continually gorging 
the stomach at all hours, and before it has time to 
dispose of the contents with which it is already 
loaded. During the first two or three months of 
their existence, infants require food about every 
three hours. A very good plan is to give them nour- 
ishment thus : at six, at nine, at twelve, and so on 
through the day, making the last meal at nine 
o'clock at night. Six meals in twenty-four hours 
are enough for any child, and, when the last is given 
at nine o'clock, there is no earthly necessity for an- 
another before morning. 

The very prevalent custom of feeding infants at 
all times of night is highly objectionable. It inter- 
feres with the repose of the mother ; it is unnatural 
for the child ; for Nature designed the night for sleep- 
ing, and not for eating ; and, besides this, it subjects 
the infant to many positive dangers, such as breath- 
ing an impure air while hanging on the breast, colic, 
and all the evils at which we have already hinted ; 
and there can be no doubt that many of the cases of 
smothering and overlying are the result of night 
nursing. 



HYGIENE OF INFANCY. 395 

Wet-Nurses and Nursing Women. 

The influence of the mental and bodily condition 
of mothers over the milk secretion has been alluded 
to under other heads ; but the subject is too impor- 
tant to be passed without some specific directions to 
nursing women. 

Of course these will apply equally to mothers and 
hired nurses. 

But as it may be desirable in some cases to employ 
a wet-nurse in preference to raising by hand, we 
will first give some advice on that subject. 

How to Choose a Wet-Nurse. — A wet-nurse 
should be in the prime of life, and free from every 
taint of disease, inherited or acquired. It has already 
been seen how much the secretion of milk is influ- 
enced by the bodily condition ; it is sufficient, there- 
fore, to remark here that perfect health and vigor 
are all-important and indispensable essentials in the 
selection of a wet-nurse. And the nurse should be 
free, not only from actual disease and bodily infirm- 
ity, she should be free from any strong predisposi- 
tion to such constitutional diseases as scrofula, con- 
sumption, nervous aflfections, etc., etc. 

The mental and moral characteristics of a wet- 
nurse are no less important than her physical condi- 
tion; she should possess a mild, agreeable, and 
cheerful disposition, with an inexhaustible stock of 
patience. It is a well-established fact that anger, 
grief, fretfulness, envy, and all the depressing pas- 
sions, not only diminish the quantity of milk se- 
creted, but actually change its character, converting 



396 HYGIENE OF INFANCY. 

it from the most mild and wholesome of nutriments 
into an irritative poison, capable of producing con- 
vulsions, bowel affections, colics, and a train of the 
most serious disorders. Medical works abound in 
examples of this kind : Dr. Bedford, of New York, 
tells us of an unfortunate woman who lost her hus- 
band at sea, which so affected the secretion of milk 
as to cause a diarrhoea in her child which could be 
controlled only by a change of nourishment ; so soon 
as this change was made, the little patient recovered 
with little or no medicine. Were it necessary, nu- 
merous instances of the same kind could be adduced ; 
enough, however, has been said, we trust, to convince 
mothers that the mental and moral condition of 
nurses is a matter of the very first importance in 
consideration of the physical welfare of the child, 
to say nothing of moral influences, of which we 
shall speak hereafter. In enumerating the requisites 
of a good wet-nurse, we* neglected to mention that 
her child should be about the age of the foster-child ; 
still, in our opinion, undue importance is attached to 
this by most persons, and we are certain that it is a 
matter of small moment when compared with the 
other things to which we have adverted. 

In thus giving the essentials of a wet-nurse, we are 
sure that we have not exaggerated their importance 
— so far from it, we feel conscious that we have not 
presented them as strongly as they deserve ; yet this 
imperfect sketch may serve one very useful purpose 
— it may show mothers how very difficult it is to 
find a suitable wet-nurse, and may thus tend to in- 
duce them to follow our advice, in considering well 



HYGIENE OP INFANCY. 397 

what they do, before they give the nursing of their 
children up to another, instead of performing this 
duty themselves. 

If mothers are convinced of the truth of what has 
been said, they will be very far from shunning their 
duty to their children for any light and frivolous 
cause ; and even when driven to do so by stern ne- 
cessity, they will have a physician to examine care- 
fully into the physical condition of the proposed 
nurse ; they will satisfy themselves fully as to her 
mental and moral traits. 

Diet and Drinks of Nursing Women. — The diet 
and drinks of mothers and wet-nurses are matters of 
the very first importance ; because errors in these 
particulars must ultimately impair the health of the 
mother or nurse, resulting in those diseases and physi- 
cal disabilities of which we have before spoken ; and 
even when there is no immediate and manifest symp- 
tom of disease in the nurse, it is a well-known fact 
that certain articles of food and drink, when taken 
by nurses, will cause colic and other disagreeable 
effects in a child at the breast. 

The diet of nurses should consist of wholesome, 
nutritious food, plainly cooked, and* eaten in moder- 
ate quantity. To be a little more specific — it should 
be composed mainly of nourishing animal soups, 
milk, rice, bread, ripe fruits, boiled or baked mutton 
and beef, etc., to the exclusion of all highly seasoned 
dishes, rich gravies, fat pork, salt bacon, pastries, 
acid and unripe fruits, pickles, and such like. 

Mothers and wet-nurses are very much given to 

indulgence in the free use of meat, and the strongest 

34 



398 HYGIENE OP INFANCY. 

kind of food, because, as they say, " they have to 
eat for two." Hence, nurses who have, as a general 
rule, never enjoyed the luxuries of life in too great 
abundance, are very apt to take advantage of this 
idea, and to make it a license for the gratification of 
a gluttonous appetite, and for a troublesome fastidi- 
ousness with regard to their diet. Such a course, 
either on the part of mothers or nurses, is highly 
injurious to their own health, and destructive in its 
effects on the infant. It is only the food that is 
digested and taken up into the blood that goes to 
nourish the nurse or the child ; and all that is not 
digested and taken into the circulation must oppress 
the stomach, causing colic, diarrhoea, headache, and 
general derangement of health, with consequent im- 
pairment of the- secretion of milk, either in quantity 
or quality, and oftener than otherwise in both. 
Once, or at most twice a day, is often enough for 
any woman who does not lead quite an active life, 
to take meat ; and this, together with everything else, 
should be eaten in moderate quantity — just enough 
to satisfy a natural, reasonable, healthful appetite — 
such an appetite as nature will give to all nursing 
women who live right, and who are guided by the 
plain teachings of physiology and common sense, in- 
stead of the absurd notion of " eating for two," and 
" the more we eat, the fatter we get," etc., etc. 

As a general rule, vegetables should be the prin- 
cipal diet of nursing women, as of all others who 
do not take active exercise. But there are some 
vegetables, such as potatoes, turnips, peas, etc., that 
give rise to flatulency in nurses and children ; and 



HYGIENE OF INFANCY. 399 

when it is found from experience (our only safe guide 
in such things) that such is the case, all articles of 
diet so offending should be left off. 

The only drinks of nursing women should be water, 
pure simple water ; chocolate, if it agrees ; hot-water 
tea ; and milk, which may be regarded both as food 
and drink. The habit of resorting to tea, coffee, 
wines, cordials, and various stimulating drinks, under 
the mistaken notion that they increase the milk 
and impart strength, is most pernicious, and is ruin- 
cms to the health of nurse and child. 'Stimulants 
can never give or increase strength ; and though 
some of them may cause a temporary increase in the 
milk and other secretions, the excitement caused by 
them is unhealthful, the effects are transient and un- 
natural, and the consequences of their use — except in 
some cases of disease — are e>"l, evil only, and that 
continually. 

Drugging Nursing "Women. — Allusion has been 
made to the pernicious effects of drugs in excess, and 
particularly of opiates, when administered directly 
to infants. The effects of drugs when taken through 
the nurse's milk are perhaps no less disastrous ; and 
certain it is that such effects are almost wholly un- 
known to, or diregarded by, mothers. Many, per- 
haps, most drugs, pass unchanged into the blood, and 
from the blood through the various glands out of the 
body. In this way, opiates, purgatives, stimulants, 
and almost every medicine may pass through the 
milk gland, producing all the specific effects on the 
child that would ensue from pouring them into his 
mouth from a spoon. 



400 HYGIENE OF INFANCY. 

The inference is plain and obvious — mothers and 
nurses should use drugs very sparingly, and as a 
general rule, only by the advice of a physician. Much 
the best and safest plan is to so live as to render 
drugging unnecessary ; better throw physic to the 
dogs than to be continually saturating your blood 
with it, and dosing your infant through your milk, 
when you could get along without it, by obedience 
to the laws of health, and when it is not only useless, 
but killing to your babe. 

Air, Exercise, etc, of Nursing- Women. — Pure 
air and exercise are absolute^ essential for nurses. 
Without these, no function of the body can be pro- 
perly performed — the blood will become corrupt — the 
general health will become deranged — the vital pro- 
cesses will be suspended, or improperly carried on, 
and every secretion be impaired. Without exercise 
to re-invigorate the body, and drive the blood through 
the sluggish vessels, these will become clogged up 
with gross and irritating impurities ; and without 
the vitalizing, vivifying, and purifying effects of free 
air, the blandest and most wholesome of fluids, such 
as milk itself, will be converted into an acrid disease, 
—generating poison. In view of these facts, mothers 
should exercise, and be much in the open air them- 
selves ; or, if they have a wet-nurse, they should see 
to it that she does not become too fat and lazy, which 
she is very likely to do, if she is employed by a 
wealthy family, and has nothing to do but to attend 
to her little charge. At the same time, mothers and 
nurses should avoid over-heating, and excessive wor- 
rying : — the exercise should be moderate, reasonable, 



HYGIENE OF INFANCY. . 401 

healthful, and not exhausting, depressing, and over- 
fatiguing. In short, nursing women should, above all 
others, live naturally, physiologically, and common- 
sensely, disregarding alike the rebellious movings of 
a misguided appetite, the fanciful whims of the igno- 
rant, the baseless traditions of grandmothers, and 
many of the time-honored customs of the nursery- 
room. If nursing women would rear healthy and 
sweet-tempered children, they must be healthy and 
sweet-tempered themselves; and to be thus, requires 
obedience to the laws of health, not only in eating 
and drinking, and moral influences, and all things 
mentioned in this article, but also in sleeping and in 
cleanliness, in temperature, in the regulation of the 
excretions, and in everything else that is pure, health- 
ful, and of " good report." One of the great secrets 
of babyism is a healthy nurse i and the great secret 
of health is correct living. This is worth more to 
mothers, to the rising generation, to all womandom, 
and " the rest of mankind," than an army of phys- 
icking doctors, or a ship-load of drugs. 

Some of the Difficulties of xTursino Women. — 
Before finally dismissing this subject, a few of these 
may be noticed. 

In some cases there is difficulty in getting the 
child to take the nipple. This is generally caused by 
delaying its application to the breast too long, and by 
over-fulness of the breast and retraction of the 
nipple. The first difficulty is to be avoided by giving 
the breast to the child soon after birth, as already 
recommended. The over-fulness is to be relieved by 
drawing the breast by artificial means. The nipple 
Z ' 34* 



402 HYGIENE OF INFANCY. 

may be drawn out by filling a bottle with hot water, 
and putting the nipple into the neck of the bottle, 
while warm, after pouring out the water. 

Ulcerated or Fissured Nipples, and inflamed 
breasts are also obstacles to suckling. Of these we 
have spoken in another place. 

Some women are troubled with an excessive se- 
cretion of milk. The remedy for this is a dry diet, 
avoiding all stimulants, and especially coffee. Some 
preparation of iron — preferably, the tincture of iron 
— may also be taken. 

Another difficulty is a deficient secretion op 
milk. This is to be remedied by tonics, nourishing 
diet, and the free use of drinks ; but we would not 
advise alcoholic drinks in such cases, as some do. 
Such cases as these should have the advice of a phy- 
sician. 

Sleep of Children. 

Having now passed in review the conditions of 
mothers which stand in close connection with the 
feeding of children, we return to some other points 
in their hygienic management. 

Sleep of Infants — Opiates. — Infants require more 
sleep than older persons, because their tender frames 
could not bear without injury the various exciting 
influences to which they are necessarily subjected 
during the waking state ; and, besides this, while 
all the voluntary organs rest in sleep, nature is 
able to concentrate all her energies on the great 
internal nutritive processes, by which the growth of 
the body is hastened ; for it is so arranged in the 



HYGIENE OF INFANCY. 403 

wise economy which regulates the human system, 
that the vital organs of repair and nutrition are 
more active when all the other organs repose in 
sleep. It being true, then, that young children need 
a great deal of sleep, it follows that restlessness and 
wakefulness are injurious, and they are indications 
that there is something wrong. The difficulty in 
these cases can generally be traced to improper feed- 
ing, tight clothing, excessive warmth, or confined 
air. 

"When a child is restless and sleepless, it is a too 
common practice to resort to opiates instead of invi- 
ting sleep by attention to those external surround- 
ings, those hygienic agents which may generally be 
made effectual, and which are natural, healthful, 
and far safer than stupefying drugs. These may 
be admissible in some rare cases of disease, when 
administered by the advice of a very prudent physi- 
cian, but we say without hesitation that such means 
should never be resorted to without such advice. 
And yet how common is it at the first appearance 
of restlessness to fly at once to paregoric, Bateman's 
Drops, Godfrey's Cordial, soothing syrups, and the 
thousand and one child-slaughtering compounds 
that may be found in almost every household ! 
And, as incredible as it may appear, the administra- 
tion of these dangerous articles is sometimes com- 
mitted to an ignorant and careless nurse, who is but 
too ready to deal them out freely in order to prevent 
her own repose from being disturbed. And we have 
even heard of mothers who, in their desire to attend 
some place of amusement, have been so thoughtless, 



404 HYGIENE OF INFANCY. 

or so heartless, as to give a large dose of laudanum 
or some other potent narcotic to their babes, in order 
that they might sleep while these mothers were 
absent ! 

Surely such people as those, and all who resort to 
opiates on every trivial occasion, know not what 
they do ; for we cannot believe that any mother 
who is properly informed would pursue such a mur- 
derous course. N"o ! mothers could not, would not 
thus act if they knew the dangers attending the ad- 
ministration of opiates to children ; if they knew 
how exceedingly susceptible are the brains of chil- 
dren to such impressions ; if they knew that those 
brains are naturally prone to inflammation and con- 
gestion ; that opiates, in all forms, increase this state 
of things ; that the smallest dose will sometimes pro- 
duce a fatal depression, and that the frequent use of 
such agents will inevitably result in a state of chronic 
or habitual endorsement of the vessels of the brain, 
that will, from the slightest cause, give rise to fatal 
convulsions, dropsy of the brain, or some more ob- 
scure but no less fatal disease. Yet all this is true, 
and more ; for opiates spend their force on the brain 
and nervous system, which may well be considered 
as the main-spring and fountain of life, the great 
regulators of the whole vital machinery ; and, there- 
fore, it is just as impossible for the human machine 
to perform its functions properly when under the 
depressing influence of any kind of narcotic, as it is 
for a watch or a clock to run properly when the 
main-spring is deranged in its action. 

By the habitual use of opiates, the stomach is de- 



HYGIENE OE INFANCY. 405 

ranged, and thus all healthful supplies are cut off; 
from the same cause, the action of the heart is inter- 
fered with, and thus the blood is not properly dis- 
tributed to the system ; the breathing is also ren- 
dered slow and laborious, and thus the poisoned and 
sluggish stream of blood is not properly purified and 
vitalized in the lungs ; and, as a consequence of all 
this, the poor overdosed and narcotized infant wastes 
in flesh, pales in color, becomes bloated and dropsi- 
cal, or shrinks to shin and bones, and thus does the 
unfortunate victim of folly sink to the tomb under 
a multiplied train of nameless disorders, if it is not 
out off earlier by some acute disease. 

Instead of giving opium, the remedies for sleep- 
lessness in children are, such feeding as we have 
recommended, cool, pure air, loose clothing, and the 
warm bath at bed time. This will generally act 
like a charm in allaying the feverishness and ner- 
vous excitement, which are the most frequent causes 
of the difficulty 

Sleeping Rooms fop, ChildpvEN. — The nursery room 
should be large, well aired, and elevated as far as 
possible above the ground floor. From this room 
plants and flowers should be excluded, as they tend 
to vitiate the air. 

The beds of children should be considerably eleva- 
ted, to guard against the impure air which naturally 
settles near the floor. Still, if the room is kept 
.•scrupulously clean, as it should be, and properly 
ventilated, impure air will find no place within it, 
but will be swept away by the free currents cir- 
oulatino; through it. The beds of children should 



406 HYGIENE OF INFANCY. 

not be put under other beds during the day, but 
should be exposed to the air, so that impure secre- 
tions with which the bedding may be impregna- 
ted may be dissipated. To guard more effectually 
against danger from this source, the beds and bed- 
clothing should be exposed as much as possible to 
the sun as well as to the air. 

Curtains should never be placed around the beds 
of children, and their faces should not be covered 
while asleep, even with a veil. If any one has any 
doubts about the interruption of a free circulation 
of air, even by the thinnest veil, those doubts can 
soon be removed by placing one of these coverings 
over the face, and in contact with it. The warm 
stifling air will soon produce a very disagreeable 
and even painful feeling of oppression. 

Am and Exercise for Children. — The first want 
of an infant is an abundant supply of pure air ; and 
yet many people seem to think that a little babe is a 
kind of hibernating animal that can live almost 
without air. There can be no doubt that the fearful 
mortality among children is largely due to the want 
of pure, fresh air in the nursery-room. Dr. Clarke 
informs us that in a Dublin hospital, nearly half the 
children were cut off within the first two weeks of 
their existence ; but so soon as measures were taken 
" to insure a free circulation of pure air throughout 
the wards of the hospital, the dreadful mortality 
that had previously occurred among the infants in- 
habiting them wa3 almost immediately suspended." 
Even when deprivation of pure air does not produce 
any immediate and fatal train of symptoms, the 



HYGIENE OF INFANCY. 407 

powers of life are gradually impaired ; the proper 
development of the body is prevented by the sus- 
pension of the chemical and vital changes in which 
the oxygen of the air plays such an important part, 
and thus is the foundation laid for diseases that are 
often incurable. The effects of confinement and 
want of air are seen in paleness of the face, flabbi- 
ness of the muscles, dulness of the eyes, shortness of 
breath, smallness of growth, rickets, indigestion, con- 
sumption, scrofula or king's evil, and a numberless 
train of the most fatal disorders to which flesh is 
heir. 

Children really stand more in need of an abun- 
dance of pure air than grown persons; for, as just 
intimated, a free supply of the oxygen of the air is 
absolutely essential to those great chemical and vital 
processes by which the growth of the body is secured. 
The nursery-room, then, should be the largest, most 
airy and cleanly in the whole house ; all causes of im- 
purity should, as far as possible, be avoided, such as 
smoking lamps and chimneys, coal fires, stoves, to- 
bacco smoke, and, in short, everything that has a 
tendency to vitiate .the air by the introduction of 
foreign elements, or by the abstraction of its vital 
principle, oxygen. If the room be a close ceiled one, 
it should be well aired every day by opening all the 
doors and windows, while, if the weather be cold, 
the child can be transferred to another room. And 
an air-hole should always be left open, day and night, 
hot and cold, by having ono or more windows parti- 
ally or entirely open, according to the temperature of 
the weather. But, while an abundance of pure air is 



408 HYGIENE OF INFANCY. 

diffused throughout the room, the child should not 
be placed immediately under a window, or between 
windows and doors, so as to be exposed to a s'trong 
current. In short, all the arrangements of the nur- 
sery-room should have two great objects — 1st, the 
equable diffusion of pure air; and 2d, the preserva- 
tion of proper warmth. 

After the first month, infants should be carried 
out into the open air, when the weather is pleasant. 
They enjoy this wonderfully, even at a very early 
age, as is manifest from their efforts to approach an 
open door, and from their " crowing," and other un- 
mistakable evidences of pleasure. These are the 
unerring indications of a natural instinct which 
should teach us that the free air and the bright sun- 
light of heaven are essential to the health and hap- 
piness of infancy. 

Some mothers seem to appreciate the importance 
of fresh air to the health of their children ; but then 
they are so fearful that the " little things " will take 
cold that they often suffer for want of pure air, even 
w T hen carried out, and when the nursery-room is am- 
ply supplied. Children often have their cribs or 
cradles closed in with thick curtains, or their faces 
covered while sleeping, so that they are subjected to 
the necessity of breathing over and over again an 
impure air, impregnated with the exhalations from 
their bodies, and exhausted of its vitality; and thus 
are they deprived of all the advantages of ventila- 
tion, however complete and unobjectionable all the 
arrangements for securing this may be. And such is 
the fear of cold that the benefits of an out-door air- 



HYGIENE OF INFANCY. 409 

Ing are often lost by smothering up the face of 
the child in blankets or shawls, or by sticking 
its head under the cape or shawl of the mother 
or nurse. 

These practices cannot be too strongly condemned. 
Air is needed as much, nay, more, by children than by 
older persons, and as to cold, there is no danger, if 
currents be avoided within doors ; if proper weather 
be chosen for out-door airings ; and if due attention 
be paid to the clothing, and particularly to the cov- 
ering of the feet, arms, and legs. 

It is hardly necessary to give any special direction 
as to the exercises of children who are able to w r alk 
and crawl, as they vvdll be sure to take enough, in spite 
of all the restraints that can be put on them. But 
there is a kind of passive exercise to which very 
young children may be subjected, that is very bene- 
ficial. This is MANUAL EXERCISE. 

By this we mean gentle rubbing with the hands 
of the mother or nurse. For the first few weeks of 
their existence, infants should be allowed to indulge 
their natural inclination for repose to the fullest 
extent, and they should be handled as little as possi- 
ble. But after the first month or two, they should 
be gently rubbed all over with the hand at least once 
a day. The best time for this is after the daily wash- 
ing or bathing, before recommended. Passive exer- 
cise or friction w T ith the hand communicates a very 
pleasurable sensation, wdiich is evinced by the move- 
ments of the child ; and those exercises promote a 
vigorous circulation in the capillary vessels of the 
skin. 

35 



410 HYGIENE OF INFANCY. 

Vaccin atio n. 

As this is strictly a hygienic operation, it may be- 
more properly considered here than in the succeed- 
ing chapter. The protective power of vaccination 
against small-pox is so well established, that it is 
needless to adduce any evidence on this point. 

We will only urge the importance of an early re- 
sort to it, regardless of the unfounded fears and 
prejudices which some entertain with regard to it. 
These dangers are greatly magnified ; and even ad- 
mitting that the operation may, in some rare cases,, 
be attended with disagreeable effects, no one will 
pretend to say that these are sufficient to justify any 
one in incurring the certain and terrible dangers of 
small-pox. 

Where there is nothing in the health of the child 
to forbid, the operation should be performed early — 
as early as a month or six weeks after birth. This 
operation should be repeated from time to time, with 
short intervals, until fully assured that the vaccina- 
tion has taken, which will be known by the usual 
signs known to all physicians, and to most mothers. 

It is a common opinion among the people, that re- 
vaccination should be performed at least every seven 
years. But in many cases, a single vaccination is 
lull protection for all time. Still, as there are many 
exceptions to this, it is proper to re- vaccinate when- 
ever greatly exposed to small-pox, when there has 
been a considerable interval since the previous vac- 
cination. It is more especially desirable to renew 
the vaccination after the age of puberty. 



HYGIENE OF INFANCY. 411 

Kecent researches seem to show that the protection 
afforded by vaccination is increased by inserting the 
matter at more than one point. That is, by making 
from three to six punctures near to each other, at 
the usual place. This should be remembered and 
practiced accordingly. 

Regular Babies. 

We cannot better conclude the hygiene of child- 
hood, than by insisting on the importance of train- 
ing children to regular habits. 

We copy in part from a late number of our 
Herald of Health : 

The truth of Solomon's declaration with regard 
to training a child is very generally admitted. 

But when we come to apply his doctrine, we never 
once think of " babies," but of boys and girls capa- 
ble of being reasoned with, reproved, and, if neces- 
sary, " thrashed" into obedience and good behavior. 
For who ever thought of an unreasoning, unthinking, 
senseless tormenting, squalling baby being trained 
to anything ? But a moment's reflection will con- 
vince any one that the training of a child may be 
commenced with the first dawn of intelligence, and 
even before. 

How soon does the little stranger learn to distin- 
guish the difference between a mother's smiles and 
her frowns ! All mothers have seen how the most 
gentle tap of displeasure will fill the eyes with tears, 
and cause a convulsive quiver of the little mouth*. 
These signs indicate some development of the emo- 
tional and intellectual faculties at a very tender age. 



412 HYGIENE OF INFANCY. 

But even before tliese manifestations, there is a 
great law of nature which is coeval with the very 
birth of the child. This is the law of periodicity, or 
regular alternations of activity and repose. " Order, 
is Heaven's first law; regularity, Nature's great 
rule." 

This law impresses itself on all the functions of 
the human body, both in health and disease ; before 
as well as after birth. And it is equally as opera- 
tive on the youngest infant as on the full grown 
adult. 

Indeed, this law may be properly regarded as the 
foundation of the great truth — " train up a child in 
the way in which he should go," etc. And so pre- 
vailing and universal is this law, and so often have 
Ave seen its power demonstrated, even in very young 
children, that we have no hesitation in saying that 
an infant can be trained to regular habits in eating 
and sleeping from its very bijjth ; and that one so 
trained will not depart from it even when young. 

The prevalent custom of raising children without 
any regular hours of eating or sleeping, is directly 
opposed to Nature's great law of regularity, is the 
source of more unhappiness to parents, and the cause 
of more perversity, diseases, and deaths among chil- 
dren, than any one thing. 

To this is mainly due the anxious days and sleep- 
less nights which imbitter wedded life, and cause 
every addition to the family to be received with 
fear and trembling, instead of with joy and thank- 
fulness, as it should be. A child thus raised is not 
only subject to disease from over-eating at improper 



HYGIENE OF INFANCY. 413 

times, but when it gets old enough, to move about 
the house, eating as it does, from morning to night, 
it is a source of endless annoyance to all mothers 
and good housewives. But nursing infants at night 
is specially objectionable. For it interferes with the 
repose of the mother, is an excessive tax on her 
powers, and is the immediate cause of the death of 
many little innocents. ISTot only are colics, diar- 
rhoeas, and most of the other ailments of babyhood 
due to gorging the child at such unseasonable hours, 
but most of the cases of smothering or over-lying, 
are the result of giving the child the breast at night. 

The mother, worn down by fatigue and loss of rest, 
must yield to the demands of nature ; she falls 
asleep — and thus is her child sacrificed. 

As to the intervals for feeding infants we have 
already given directions. 

But the great thing is to establish a regular habit 
— to conform to the demands of nature in this 
respect. Regularity as to the time is more impor- 
tant than the length of the intervals, though these 
should not be too short. The establishment of 
habits of regularity in eating, and in other things, 
is more easy than most people believe ; indeed it is 
less difficult than with older persons ; for at this 
tender age there are no opposing influences, no coun- 
ter-currents, and the little fellow falls into the chan- 
nel grooved out for him by nature, just as naturally 
as he takes his mother's breast in an hour after he is 
born. And why ? Because, the same or a similar 
law of nature which makes him take food, requires 
that it should be taken with proper intervals and at 

35* 



414 HYGIENE OF INFANCY. 

regular times. Away then with the absurd and 
destructive error that infants are creatures of whim 
and caprice, subject to no law, and incapable of 
being trained to any regular habits in eating, sleep- 
ing, or anything else. We know this to be untrue 
for the reasons given, and from abundant observa- 
tions in our own practice. Six times have we seen 
the truth of this teaching demonstrated in one 
family, without a single failure. And the parents 
of the six children reared in accordance with the 
precepts here given, have not lost a week's sleep on 
account of sick or crying children for twenty years ; 
and during that long period they have not, perhaps, 
been called up a dozen times, even to give a drink 
of water. The truth is, children properly raised do 
not often call for water at night. 

Finally, we may add, that with the promise of 
exemption from the ills of pregnancy and the pangs 
of labor by a hygienic course of living, and from 
some of the greatest trials of rearing children by 
conforming to the laws of the same beneficent 
science, poor, w^orn, weary, over-burdened and well- 
nigh despairing mothers have much to cheer them — 
much to hope for, even in this life, which to many 
of them is truly one of " great tribulation." But 
remember that God gives grace to the humble, the 
trusting, and the dutiful, and that obedience to the 
physiological laws which he has instituted will bring 
its own sweet reward in peace of mind, health of 
body, and freedom from most of the evils which are 
the inevitable consequences of transgression. 



HYGIENE OF INFANCY. 415 

Moral Management of Children. 

We might enlarge considerably on this ; but as 
the subject comes more in the province of the moral- 
ist than of the physician we will notice only a few 
prominent points. 

In the management of children, the first thing is 
to secure their love and respect. The former is to 
be obtained by loving them ; consulting their happi- 
ness and gratifying their reasonable and proper desires. 

To secure the respect of children, parents must act 
so as to merit respect. Children soon learn what is 
worthy of respect, and what is not. Respect cannot 
be retained without truthfulness, candor, and firm- 
ness. Therefore children should never be deceived. 
When a promise is made it should never be broken. 

And even in " those matters of delicate mystery 
about which little folks often inquire, and get no 
information," mothers should follow the advice of 
Mrs. Gleason, and either tell the truth, or nothing, 
until the child is old enough to use its knowledge 
rightly. " If they ask you where your babies come 
from, do not say 4 the doctor brings them/ or that 
x papa finds them under a black stump. 5 " As our 
w r riter truly adds, such deception causes children to 
lose confidence in their parents, and ministers to a 
prurient curiosity, and vain imaginings which are 
hurtful to morals. 

Firmness is no less essential in parental govern- 
ment. Children should be ruled by love and mild 
means if possible, but ruled at all hazards. We 
cannot agree with those who would entirely abolish 



416 HYGIENE OE INFANCY. 

corporal punishment ; for this is necessary in some 
cases. Far better is it to resort to this than to shut 
children up in dark rooms, and to terrify them with 
stories of hobgoblins, "jack-o-lanterns," and such 
nursery tales. These should never be allowed. 

Children should be taught early that when you 
say no, you mean it. And therefore your resolution 
to deny anything should not be overcome by crying 
or pouting. Mothers would spare themselves a great 
deal of trouble by ceasing the too common practice 
of paying children for crying. That is granting 
their desire because they cry. If children do not say 
it, they will act on the principle that actuated the 
little boy who said to his mother " here take this 
cake and put it up until I cry for it to-morrow/' 

The rule i3, make few threats and promises and 
always carry them out. 

Of course parents should avoid every appearance 
of anger in their corrections. Let the child believe 
that the infliction is painful to you, and only for its 
good. 

Teach them to Phay. — Finally, we would insist 
that parents early learn their children to pray. True 
they may not appreciate this in their childish days, 
and many of their prayers may be as inappropriate 
and even as ludicrous as was the effort of the poor 
fellow who, while in danger of being killed by a 
runaway horse, commenced repeating the prayer of 
his childhood, "Now I lay me down to sleep." But 
in after years the prayers offered by the father at 
the family altar, or the simple petition learned at the 
mother's knees, will have a greater restraining influ- 



DISEASES OP CHILDREN. 417 

ence than whole volumes of sermons and moral 
precepts. Such is the experience of many a prodigal 
who has been beguile! by sin, and wandered far 
away from his father's house and his mother's coun- 
sels. 



CHAPTER II. 

SOME OF THE DISEASES OF CHILDREN. 

As this work has much more to do with hygiene 
or the prevention of disease, than with its cure, we 
propose in this chapter to give the domestic manage- 
ment of only a few of the more common diseases of 
infancy and early childhood. 

It may be proper to premise that the period of 
infancy is generally regarded in this country, as 
extending from birth to the end of the first teething:. 
embracing as a general rule, from two and a half to 
three years. 

Teething of Children. 

Teething is a healthy, natural process, and not 
a disease. Still the condition of the system at the 
period of teething is such as to constitute a predis- 
position to disease ; and this predisposition is but 
too often developed into actual, open disease, by im- 
proper feeding, excessive drugging, uncleanliness, 
insufficient clothing, and impure air. On all these 
points we have perhaps sufficiently enlarged. 

The process of teething is generally completed 
2 A 



418 DISEASES OF CHILDREN. 

between the sixth and thirtieth month from birth. 
The symptoms are redness, swelling and tenderness 
of the gums, with a free secretion of saliva or spittle, 
and a disposition on the part of the child to gnaw or 
bite any hard body that may fall into its hands. 
"With these symptoms there are frequently more or 
less restlessness and fretfulness, and sometimes there 
may even be feverishness ; and especially if the little 
one is allowed to indulge in meat, butter, pastries, 
and crude indigestible food, which would be improper 
in all cases, and which is almost sure to result in disease 
in the irritable and inflammatory condition of the 
system which exists at the period of teething. 

One of the most common accompaniments of teeth- 
ing is looseness of the bowels. The discharges may 
be frequent and watery, differing but little except 
in consistence and frequency, from natural, healthy 
evacutions. But perhaps oftener than otherwise, in 
the present mode of baby management, they are not 
only loose and watery, but greenish and curdled, 
indicating a considerable degree of irritation of the 
mucous membrane lining the intestinal canal. Now 
the discharges from the bowels during the process 
of teething should be regarded as an effort of 
nature to relieve irritation — as a safety vent for the 
expulsion of morbid matters. Hence, within certain 
limits, these discharges are salutary, and therefore 
they should never be checked suddenly. 

On the other hand, the equally grave error should 
be guarded against of letting a child run down to 
skin and bones, and perhaps into the grave, under 



DISEASES OF CHILDREN. 419 

the idea that "it is only a bowel complaint from 
teething," and that no harm can come of it. 

Here then is Scylla on one hand, and Charybdis 
on the other. If the bowels are checked suddenly 
with astringents and opiates, the child will in all 
probability be thrown into a wasting fever, and die 
of inflammation of the brain, stomach, bowels, or 
lungs. If the exhausting drain is permitted to go 
on unchecked the little sufferer will waste away and 
die from debility. And the difficulty in these cases 
is increased from the fact that the wasting is so 
gradual from day to day, that the child may be 
reduced beyond the point of recovery before the 
alarm is taken. 

What shall be done then ? Shall we resort to 
opiates and astringents to check the bowel complaints 
of teething? "We answer unhesitatingly, no. Such 
remedies may be safe in the hands of a very prudent 
and judicious physician, but for mothers and nurses 
never. The fact is, the danger from debility and 
exhaustion is much less than that from the fever, con- 
vulsions, and inflammation that are likely to arise 
from injudicious attempts to check the discharges. 
Indeed a child will hardly ever die of the diarrhoea 
of teething, under the following treatment, which is 
equally safe and efficient, while it is so simple and 
plain that even a wayfaring woman, though a fool in 
things medical, " need not err therein." Teething 
is accomplished in many instances without the 
slightest inconvenience ; and we feel no hesitation in 
saying that this would almost always be the case> 



420 DISEASES OF CHILDREN. 

with due attention to the directions which we will 
now give. 

The feverishness of the system should be allayed 
by warm or tepid bathing, regulating the tempera- 
ture of the bath according to the decree of heat: 
that is, the hotter the skin, the cooler the water, etc., 
Bathing has a most happy effect in soothing the 
nervous and vascular excitement ; and the best of 
all is, it is a safe remedy, being free from the danger 
of congestion of the brain, and those disorders of the 
stomach and derangements ©f the general system so 
likely to ensue from the use of opiates and soothing 
syrups, powders and mixtures. To quiet the restless- 
ness, and to allay the feverisliness attendant on teeth- 
ing, the wet sheet pack commends itself strongly to 
the consideration of mothers both for efficacy and 
for convenience. If the excitement is not very great, 
the sheet need not be cold, but may be dipped in 
warm or hot water. The warm bath or sheet- 
pack is especially valuable when used at bedtime. 
In quieting restlessness, and in inducing refreshing 
sleep, either of the above remedies is superior, safety 
and efficiency both considered, to any drug, animal 
vegetable, or mineral. 

In addition to general bathing, teething children 
should have the mouth washed frequently with cold 
water; and they should be allowed to drink freely 
of pure water, gum-water, or slippery-elm mucilage. 
If the child is not weaned, it should be restricted to 
the mother's breast; if weaned, the diet should 
consist of cow's milk, hot-water tea, rice-water, toast- 
water, parched rice, rice boiled in milk, arrowroot, 



DISEASES OF CHILDREN. 421 

tapioca, crackers or biscuit crust grated in milk, etc., 
etc. Under this simple treatment combined with 
exercise in the open air 9 and a strict avoidance of 
all stimulants in the way of food, drink, or medicine, 
ninety-nine cases in every hundred of teething will 
terminate favorably, and all the dangers of this 
critical period will be safely passed. 

Should any direct means be necessary to allay the 
irritation of the bowels, use a small syringe filled 
with pure cold water after each evacuation. If the 
discharges are acid (which will bo indicated by their 
greenish appearance), then give a teaspoonful of a 
solution of carbonate of soda, or a few grains of chalk 
or magnesia, repeating the dose of either, at intervals 
of two or three hours, until the stools become less 
frequent and more natural in appearance. 

If the gums are hot and swollen, they should be 
freely lanced, cutting down until the tooth is plainly 
felt grating on the edge of the instrument. This is a 
simple and safe operation ; it can be performed by 
any one, and often gives the greatest relief. Indeed, 
sometimes all remedies will fail to have the desired 
effect until the irritation caused by the pressure of 
the tooth on the gum is removed in the manner 
indicated. Various washes are used by people with 
the view of softening the gums, and some seem to 
think that there is great virtue in the braiyis of 
rabbits! 

It is hardly necessary to say that such things can 
have no specific power to accomplish the end de- 
signed, and that such absurd superstitions should be 
utterly discarded by all intelligent people. Yet rub- 

36 



422 DISEASES OF CHILDREN. 

bing the gums with some substance that is not so 
hard as to irritate, and not disgustingly filthy in its 
nature, is harmless, and pleasant to the child, and 
therefore it may be allowed an India-rubber toy, or 
something of the kind. 

Prescription for the Chronic Diarrhoea of Teething, 
While we are opposed to the use of active drugs 
in domestic practice, and while drugs of any kind 
will rarely be necessary in the diarrhoea of teething, 
if the directions before given are strictly followed, 
yet we can confidently recommend the following 
recipe in chronic and obstinate cases. According to 
our experience it is a most efficient compound, and 
it may be safely used in domestic practice : Take 
calomel, two grains ; Dover's powder, two grains ; 
powdered ginger, twelve grains ; prepared chalk, 
thirty grains. Mix well, and divide into twelve 
powders. Give one every two, three, or four hours, 
regulating the frequency of the dose according to 
the condition of the bowels, and continuing the 
medicine until the discharges become natural and 
healthy. This preparation does not check the bowels 
suddenly, but gradually changes the secretions to a 
healthy condition. The proportion of opium to each 
powder is quite homoeopathic, being only one-sixtieth 
of a grain, while there is only one-sixth of a grain of 
the other active ingredient — calomel. 

We have tested the above prescription in many 
cases, and we rarely find it necessary to resort to 
anything else, with due attention to diet, clothing, 
and bathing. 



DISEASES OF CIIILDREN. 423 

Convulsions of Children Teething. 

Convulsions are better known among the people 
as " fits." In the present mode of dosing with opi- 
ates and astringents, and of excessive stuffings with 
meats, grease, and pastries, convulsions are quite a 
frequent complication of teething. And of all the 
disorders of infancy, these are, perhaps, the most 
formidable in appearance, and the most heart-rending^ 
to a mother. The symptoms of convulsions are so- 
manifest as to require but little description. Every 
mother who has seen her darling writhing under a 
fit, with body stiff and immovable ; with twitching 
muscles, clenched hands, glaring eyes, labored breath- 
ing, livid face, and distorted features, has the horrid 
picture indelibly engraved on her memory, and she 
can recognize the approach of the dreaded disorder 
on the occurrence of the slightest premonitions, such 
as starting in sleep, rolling of the eyeballs, and jerk- 
ing of the muscles of the fingers and mouth. 

The causes of convulsions in children are numer- 
ous and various ; but we confine ourself to the con- 
vulsions resulting from the irritation of teethings 
But cutting teeth alone would rarely if ever cause 
the disorder. As before intimated, it is generally 
brought on by suddenly checking the diarrhoea of 
teething by the use of opiates and astringents, and! 
by adding to the existing excitement of the system 
by giving children gross, stimulating food. For the 
proper diet for teething children, and for some 
remarks on the dangers of drugging with opiates 
and astringents, we refer to the previous article. 



424 DISEASES OF CHILDREN. 

Besides the remedies already indicated, as appropri- 
ate in all cases of teething, the special domestic treat- 
ment of the convulsions of teething should consist in. 
the use of the warm bath and cold affusions to the 
head. 

As soon as a child has the slightest symptom of 
an approaching fit, the whole body should be im- 
mersed in milk-warm water, and at the same time 
cold water should be freely poured upon the head, 
while the latter is turned over the edge of the bath- 
ing vessel. The little patient should remain in the 
bath until the system is thoroughly relaxed, which 
will be manifested by some paleness about the face, 
perspiration, a languid expression of the eyes, and 
a disposition to sleep. These effects having been 
seen, the patient should be taken out of the bath, 
quickly dried, and placed in bed, or in the nurse's 
arms ; and a thin cloth wet in cold water should be 
laid on the head and changed every two or three 
minutes. It is best in these cases to put no clothing 
on the child, except a gown or wrapper, so that it 
may be readily undressed and placed again in the 
bath ; and this should be done on the recurrence of 
the slightest symptom of spasms. The water should 
always be kept ready, so that there may be no delay- 
in preparing the bath. This treatment, with a 
properly regulated diet, will be sufficient in most 
cases of the convulsions of teething. Should other 
remedies be required, they should be administered 
by the advice of a physician. Cutting the gums, 
and other special remedies, before prescribed, should 
not be neglected. 



DISEASES OF CHILDREN. 425 



Colds. 

This is a general term embracing more or less in- 
flammation or irritation of the mucous membrane 
lining the nose, throat, wind-pipe, or the air tubes 
ramifying through the lungs. In this last case it is 
known technically as " bronchitis," and is a very 
common, and in young children, often a very danger- 
ous affection. The eyes are often affected by ex- 
posure to cold, or by sudden changes of temperature. 
And the same is true of the bowels. Indeed, except 
over-feeding, arrest of the action of the skin by 
changes of weather, or by cooling off too rapidly 
after exercise, is the most frequent cause of diarrhoea, 
and the other affections known as "colds." Chil- 
dren are much exposed to such causes; and they 
would suffer much more than they do, were it not 
for their active habits, when they get so that they 
can run about. 

Eat infants in the arms, not being guarded 
against the effects of cold by exercise, are very liable 
to be affected by exposure to cold, resulting in croup, 
bronchitis, cold in the head, sore eyes, and indeed 
most of the more common disorders of infancy. 

One of the most frequent causes of the affections 
of the mucous membranes, known as "colds," is 
suffering children to sleep between doors or win- 
dows, or in a passage or hall, where they are exposed 
to a strong current of air. Many children lose their 
lives by being entrusted to the care of a nurse, who 
permits her chkrge to fall asleep in its little carriage, 
exposed to the open, and often cold air, without 

36* 



426 DISEASES OF CHILDREN. 

sufficient covering, frequently without any covering 
for the feet and legs. 

Mothers should guard these points and thus save 
themselves from trouble and much sorrow, and their 
precious little ones from disease and death. 

And let it not be forgotten that stuffing with gross, 
indigestible food is not only a frequent cause of 
" bowel complaints," but also of the inflammations 
of the air-passages, before mentioned. The domestic 
treatment of these affections is simple and effectual. 
It consists in the use of the warm bath, or warm, 
wet-sheet pack with a light, unstimulating diet, 
such as that prescribed for children, in the preceding- 
chapter. In addition to this, the child should have 
mucilaginous drinks, such as slippery-elm tea or 
gum water ; flaxseed tea acidulated with lemon 
juice is a good remedy in such cases ; but as a 
general rule, the less drugging the better. If there 
is much heat and dryness of the skin, it should be 
sponged with tepid or lukewarm water, whenever 
the temperature becomes higher than natural. There 
need be no fear of cold in using water in this way ; 
for it is not only safe, but one of the best of all 
remedies. 

Tor the stuffing up in the nose, which sometimes 
interferes seriously with infants in drawing the 
breath, the common domestic remedy of greasing 
the nose inside and out, with tallow, is very good- 
And so is the application of a warm sponge, or warm 
cloth to the nose. 

These remedies should be followed by considerable- 
friction along the sides of the nose. 



DISEASES OF CHILDREN. 427 

For a common cold, this treatment will generally 
be sufficient. Should great difficulty of breathing,, 
attended with a dry cough and wheezing occur, a 
physician should be called without delay. 

Croup. 

This is a very dangerous affection of the mucous 
membrane lining the wind-pipe, or the opening into 
it, called the larynx. It may be spasmodic or inflam- 
matory. The danger in both cases is from obstruc- 
tion to the breathing, by constriction or narrowing 
of the passage to the lungs. Fortunately it is a 
rare disease in very young children, not occur- 
ring generally during the first year of life. The 
causes of croup are very much the same as those of 
common colds and bronchitis. Some children are 
very subject to repeated attacks ; and when a child 
has had one of these, special attention should be 
given to guarding against the exciting causes men- 
tioned under the preceding head. 

The symptoms are so manifest that they cannot be 
mistaken. The prominent ones are difficulty of 
breathing, and a dry cough attended with a peculiar 
barking brazen kind of a noise, which will always 
be recognized when once heard. This is attended 
with a very anxious expression of the counte- 
nance, discoloration of the face, and particularly of 
the lips, with more or less fever if the attack is of 
the inflammatory variety. The invasion may be 
sudden, or it may be preceded by the symptoms of an 
ordinary cold. 

The domestic treatment consists mainly in the- 



428 DISEASES OF CHILDREN. 

prompt use of the warm bath, or warm wet sheet 
pack, and the administration of an emetic. 

The bath should be as warm as it can be borne 
comfortably ; and should be continued until the 
system is thoroughly relaxed, as indicated by loss of 
color in the face, weakness or sickness of stomach, 
and change of the expression of the eye. The bath 
should be kept at hand, ready for use, on a return of 
the distressing symptoms. 

" Hive syrup," or the compound syrup of squills is 
an excellent emetic in these cases. It may be given in 
doses of from ten drops to a teaspoonful, according 
to the age of the child, and according to its effects. 

But a safer, and very effectual remedy is an emetic 
of alum, as recommended by Dr. Meigs. From half 
•a teaspoonful, to a teaspoonful of the powdered alum 
may be given in syrup or water every fifteen or 
twenty minutes, until vomiting occurs, or until fur- 
ther aid can be obtained. And this should always 
be sought as soon as possible. 

Another good remedy is the inhalation of the 
vapor of hot water from any suitable vessel. And 
in all cases of croup, the air of the room should be 
heated to a pretty high temperature, and should be 
kept moist by diffusing the vapor of water through 
it by means of a boiling tea-kettle, or by placing a 
vessel of water on a hot stove. This is very im- 
portant. But while the room should be kept warm, 
:and the air moist, care should be taken to admit a 
sufficiency of fresh air. This is no less important 
than the other, for the patient must have an abund- 
ant supply of oxygen. 



DISEASES OF CHILDREN. 429 

One other caution. When a child has an attack 
of croup at night, and the least symptom remains, 
next day he should be kept indoors, and the treat- 
ment should be continued. Indeed, after anything* 
like a severe spell of croup, the child should not be 
permitted to run out for three or four days. But see 
to it that he is not deprived of pure air. 

Nose Bleeding. 

This is a very common affection in children, and is 
generally caused by over excitement from running 
and from falls and blows, to which children are so 
much exposed. 

The difficulty can generally be relieved by the free 
use of cold water, applied to the face and back of 
the neck and sniffed up the nose. Alum may also 
be used in the latter way. Quietude should be main- 
tained ; needless alarm discarded, and a physician 
called, should the simple means prescribed fail. 

Worms, 

These intruders are common in children ; but it is 
only occasionally that they are in sufficient numbers 
to give rise to any serious disturbance, provided the 
child does not get sick from some other cause. In 
this case the worms become uneasy, and add to the 
trouble by their attempts to escape. And yet thou- 
sands of children are physicked to death every year 
with patent vermifuges, given for the expulsion of 
worms, which exist only in the imagination of mis- 
taught mothers. These mothers are led to believe 
that there is quite a number of infallible symptoms 



430 DISEASES OF CHILDREN. 

of the presence of worms ; and whenever one of 
these is seen, from whatever cause, forthwith the 
child is dosed with some active purgative vermifuge. 
Kow the truth is, there is but one sign of worms 
that is at all reliable, and that is the sight of them 
in the discharges. And in the absence of this evi- 
dence, mothers are not justified in resorting to any 
vermifuge, and especially any cathartic one. 

"When a child has the general derangement of 
health, which is usually charged on worms, it should 
be treated by tonics, and preferably by tonics of iron, 
with bathing, exercise, pure air, and such food as has 
been recommended in the hygienic management of 
children. These, after all, arc the best vermifuges. 
For, if a child can be kept in good health, worms 
will not hurt, unless they accumulate in great num- 
bers ; and this they are not likely to do in healthy 
children. K"or will they remain long contented in a 
sickly child, as they find such quarters rather uncom- 
fortable. The fact is, they will, in these cases, make 
their escape without any vermifuge. And hence the 
crawling from the mouth in children, sick from 
other causes, while the poor worms bear all the 
blame. Taking this view of things, we have seldom 
used vermifuges, and think it would be much better, 
for the world, if they were all thrown into the sea 
if the fishes could stand them. 

The only vermifuges we can recommend in do- 
mestic practice, are common salt, santonine, and oil 
of wormseed. And neither of these should be. 
given, unless the worms are actually seen. 

The dose of santonine is from one to three grains 



DISEASES OF CHILDREN. 431 

every night, till three doses are taken, following with 
a mild purge the morning after the third dose, pro- 
vided the bowels are not already loose, which is 
often the case. 

The dose of oil of wormseed is from three - to ten 
drops, three times a day in syrup for three or four 
days ; to be followed by a cathartic of castor oil, or 
senna tea. 

The table salt may be taken the same way, in 
doses of from half a teaspoonful, to a teaspoonful, 
dissolved in water. 

It may be added that there is a little white or 
thread worm that inhabits the lower bowels of chil- 
dren, giving rise to great i tchings and other trouble- 
some symptoms, especially in little girls. These are 
to be expelled only by the use of injections and other 
applications to the part which is the seat of the 
worms. In these cases, it is best to consult a physi- 
cian. 

Bed Wetting. 

This is one of the most annoying infirmities of 
•childhood, and its symptoms are but too well known 
to most mothers. 

It is not only a common, but a very difficult dis- 
order to treat. But like most of the other ailments 
of children, our principal resource is in preventive 
measures. 

The chief causes are the too free use of fluids at 
night, and the irritation of the lower bowel by the 
presence of the little worms just mentioned. 

The treatment should consist mainly in searching 



432 DISEASES OF CHILDREN. 

for and removing these intruders, and in withhold- 
ing fluids at the evening meal. This should be 
taken early, and should be very light, with little or 
no fluid. As a safeguard it has been very properly 
recommended that the child be waked up once or 
twice during the night, but this is not very practi- 
cable. And the same may be said of confining a 
child to his side, or keeping it off the back while 
sleeping. 

Harsh measures, such as punishment, " tying up, v 
and other such devices should never be resorted to 
in these cases ; for this is cruel and unjust, as the 
child " cannot help it." In obstinate cases, consult 
a physician ; or bear the trouble, with the assurance 
that time will remove it. 

Indigestion. 

Children generally have very active digestive 
powers, and they would scarcely ever be troubled 
with this common disorder of adults, were it not for 
excessive and improper feeding. The mention of 
the cause plainly points to the remedy ; and as full 
details have already been given as to the food and 
drinks of children, it is needless to repeat them. 

Children at the breast generally vomit up their 
milk in a curdled state, from taking more than they 
can well hold. This is a wise provision of nature,, 
and need not cause uneasiness, if the child thrives 
and retains its plumpness. But should the vomiting 
be attended with wasting, the difficulty should be 
met either in a change in the mother's diet or habits 
of life, or by consulting a physician. 



DISEASES Off CHILDREN. 433 

If the discharges from the stomach or howels are 
greenish in such cases, a good remedy is a teaspoon- 
ful of a solution of common soda every one, two, or 
three hours. The solution may be made by dissolv- 
ing a teaspoonful of soda in half a teacupful of water. 
If the bowels are too loose, as well as greenish, lime 
water is an excellent remedy. This should be given 
in the same, or larger doses, mixed with milk. 

These are the only medicines we will recommend 
in such cases. 

The Eruptive Fevers.— Hooping Cough, etc. 

These fevers are small-pox, chicken-pox, measles, 
and scarlet fever. Besides these, children are sub- 
ject to many skin diseases attended with more or 
less fever. 

But as we do not propose to treat of these in 
detail, we will only give some general directions 
which will be applicable to all, and which may be 
used in the absence of a physician. 

In all these cases, the main reliance, in domestic 
treatment, should be on the warm bath or warm 
wet sheet pack, tepid sponging, repeated whenever 
the heat rises above the natural temperature, cool 
drinks, light diet, pure air, and the occasional use 
of a mild cathartic of epsom salts or castor-oil ; if 
the bowels are constipated. But purgatives should 
be used cautiously and sparingly. The greatest 
errors in these cases are keeping the patient too close, 
over-purging and over-feeding, and the excessive 
use of stimulants, hot drinks, etc., with the view of 
44 keeping the eruption out ; " and for fear of cold. 
2 b 31 



434 DISEASES OF CHILDREN. 

This is especially true of measles, and patients with 
this disease are often killed outright by such treat- 
ment. As a general rule, it is advisable to use mild 
warm drinks in this disease, and it is proper to avoid 
strong currents of air to guard against repulsion, or 
"striking in of the eruption." But if the patient 
has a great desire for cold drinks or even ice, this 
desire should be gratified in moderation ; and the 
room should be well aired in the diseases we are 
considering and in all others. The world is now too 
much advanced in knowledge longer to tolerate the 
practice of smothering up patients in blankets and 
hot un ventilated rooms, and of stuffing and drug- 
ging them to death, when all that nature requires is 
fair play in the use of her own most efficient means, 
pure air, quietude, cooling, soothing remedies inter- 
nally and externally ; and just so much food as she 
can appropriate, and no more. 

We could give striking examples, were it neces- 
sary, of the diminished mortality of the eruptive 
fevers, under this kind of treatment. But we will 
only say, that if mothers will lay aside their preju- 
dices and notions on this subject, and treat these 
fevers, and all the ailments of children on the ra- 
tional sensible plan here recommended, they will be 
delighted with the result, and will have done all 
that is necessary, unless it be to send for a sensible, 
progressive physician, should any threatening symp- 
toms arise. And finally, we may add, that this is 
true of that common and troublesome disease of chil- 
dren — HOOPING-COUGH. 

This too, is to be treated more by hygienic means, 



DISEASES OF CHILDREN. 435 

than by drugs, though these are often very useful. 
As in the other cases, the principal remedies are 
the warm bath, pure air, etc. One remedy recently 
highly recommended is a tea of chestnut leaves. 
This is safe, and is said to be very effectual. It is 
made by putting a handful of the green leaves to a 
quart of hot water. It should be taken freely dur- 
ing the day. 

Bromide of potash is also a good remedy, but 
hardly appropriate in domestic practice. 

Sores behind the Ears. 

These are so common among children, and so often 
mistreated, that they require a passing notice. 

They are generally connected with teething. 
While no attempt should be made to dry up the 
sores by the use of ointments, salves, etc., they should 
not be neglected. They should be carefully washed 
every day with warm water, or milk and water, 
and then anointed with a little sweet oil or glycer- 
ine. A plaster made of glyceriue and powdered 
chalk or starch mixed to a proper consistence, is very 
good. These sores are often made much worse by 
applying all kinds of stimulants, and by keeping the 
head too warm. Caps have much to do with these 
disorders, and should never be worn in any case. 
All attempts to dry up eruptions about the head 
should be studiously avoided, as convulsions, and 
the most serious affections of the brain have resulted 
from such ill-advised efforts. 



436 NOTES. 



NOTES. 

The Marriageable Age. 

This depends more on the physical development, 
as stated, than on the number of years. But there 
should be time for consolidation, as well as growth. 
The best age for girls may be put at from 18 to 25 
years ; and for men, the most eligible age is from 
25 to 33. 

Shall Cousins Intermarry? 

Eecent investigations seem to show that the dan- 
gers from such unions have been greatly exaggera- 
ted. But as hereditary family constitutional defects 
are likely to be propagated and intensified, by the 
intermarriage of near blood relations, such marriages 
should not be often repeated though admissible in 
cases where both parties are known to be perfectly 
free from any constitutional taint. 

Shall Whites and Blacks Intermarry? 

Science answers emphatically, No. For it is a 
well established fact that the mulatto race is feeble 
and short lived, having, indeed, some of the mental 
characteristics of the superior race, but wanting in 
physical stamina and endurance. The decree of 
custom and prejudice on this subject then, is but an 



NOTES, 437 

echo of the voice of Nature, denouncing such abomi- 
nable unions. 



Shall Different Nationalities Intermarry? 

On this point facts seem to prove that intermar- 
riages of the same race, but of different nations, give 
rise to a more vigorous offspring, and are more fruit- 
ful than other marriages. The history of nations 
seems to sustain this idea. And this being true, 
there is nothing to prevent the people of the United 
States from becoming the greatest people on earth, 
both in physical and intellectual development. 

The amalgamation of different nations, mostly of 
the same race, and the infusion and intermingling 
of new elements, tend to purify and invigorate the 
stream of life. But in this country, these advan- 
tages are too often rendered nugatory by our bad 
habits of living. 

Temperaments and Marriage. 

Science, and the instinct which prompts to the 
love of opposites, both concur in declaring that per- 
sons of different temperaments should be united in 
marriage. 

This law is illustrated by the preference shown 
by black eyes for blue, light hair for dark, the tall 
for the short, etc. And the same law is enforced in 
the more perfect development, and in the greater 
vigor of the offspring of such unions. Finally, let 
us add that marriage should be for love, and love 
only. Matrimonial connections formed for con- 

37* 



438 NOTES, 

venience, or for mercenary purposes, can never bring 
happiness to the contracting parties, or a healthy 
vigorous offspring. 

Dangers of Kissing. 

Besides the social and moral objections to too 
great familiarities between the sexes, the practice of 
receiving kisses from men should be discouraged by 
women, on account of the danger of contamination 
from this kind of contact. Let it suffice as a warn- 
ing, to say on this delicate subject, that pure and 
innocent girls and wives are exposed in this way to 
that foul disorder, which is too common among 
licentious men. 

Time of Month and Year for Marriage. 

The season of the year is not very important, if 
other circumstances are favorable to the union ; but 
it may be stated that spring and autumn are rather 
to be preferred. The best time in the month is, for 
obvious reasons, about midway between the men- 
strual Deriods. 

Shall Husband and Wife Sleep Together? 

We answer unhesitatingly, yes, when both parties 
are sound and healthy, and when there is no great 
disparity in age. 

Much has been written on the negative side of 
this question, the opposition being based on moral 
and hygienic considerations. But in a well-ventila- 



NOTES. 439 

ted room, and with the qualifications of age and 
health mentioned, we can see no valid hygienic 
objection to a married couple occupying the same 
bed. And so far from such intimate as ociation 
engendering aversion and weakening the bonds of 
love, we cannot imagine anything better calculated 
to warm the flame of love, than that physical con- 
tiguity, those electrical currents, and that inter- 
communion of soul which constitute the essence of 
wedded love ; a love which can be cherished, sus- 
tained, perpetuated, and enjoyed only by close and 
intimate personal association. 

Hygiene of Puberty. 

As a general rule the food of girls at this age 
should be quite nourishing, but unstimulating. Milk 
and eggs are the best articles of diet. Much exercise 
should be taken in the open air, in the intervals 
between menstruation ; but at the time, rest and 
quietude of body and mind should be enjoined. 
Many are injured by the neglect of the latter rule. 

The clothing should be sufficiently warm, but light 
and loose, especially about the waist and hips. 
Special care should be taken at this age, and particu- 
larly at the menstrual period, to guard against ex- 
posure of parts usually covered, as the breast, arms, 
feet and lower limbs. Dabbling in cold water should 
also be avoided while the menses are present, but 
warm water may and should be used for the sake 
of cleanliness. 

Girls about the age of puberty should not be con- 



440 NOTES. 

fined to hard study, and all sources of mental 
anxiety and excitement should, as far as possible, 
be avoided. Of course this prohibition applies with 
special force to late hours, balls, theatres, children's 
parties, etc., all of which have been noticed in 
another part of this work. 

Beautiful Children. 

We have spoken, perhaps, sufficiently of the influ- 
ence of the mother's mind over her unborn child. 
We will only add that, if mothers would bear beau- 
tiful children, they must obey ail the laws of health 
as they stand related to both the mind and body. 
Pregnant women should nob only shun all disgusting 
objects, but they should cultivate the pure, the good 
and the beautiful, whatever refines and exalts the 
spiritual nature. To this end it is desirable that 
women in this condition should give as much atten- 
tion as possible to music, poetry (of the right kind), 
painting and the fine arts. In short, they should 
endeavor to fill themselves with the beautiful ; thus 
making themselves spiritually as well as physically 
the embodiments of loveliness. 



INDEX. 



Abdomen, relaxation of. 804 

Absorption and circulation . . 44 

Abuse of medicine 213 

Abortion 308 

procured 311 

After-birth, delivery of 349 

After-pains 358 

Air, compositiou of. 88 

change of 99 

effects of impure 89 

of cities 90 

how to purify 100 

night 103 

for children 406 

Amusements 205 

Bacon, fat, and climate 128 

Bathing, necessary 186 

time of 189 

reaction from 192 

objections to 193 

children 372 

Bath, warm 217 

Baths, different kinds 188 

time and temperature 

of 189 

Bed wetting 431 

nuptial 73 

Beds for children 405 

Bed-rooms 102 

Bladder, description of 55 

Blood, changes of 45 

vomiting 291 

Bones of chest and spine 26 

structure of. 26 



Bonnets 174 

Bowels, constipation of 292 

description of ...... . 35 

evacuations from. ... 50 

regulation of 196 

looseness of. 294 

looseness of, in chil- 
dren 418 

Brain, divisions of . . , 37 

Bread, light 135 

the most. wholesome.. 138 

Breasts, description of 54 

inflamed 360 

pains in , 304 

Breathing capacity 46 

difficulty in 296 

Canal, digestive 35 

Change of life 250 

Chest, dropsy of. 34 

effects of compression. 176 

Child bed, diseases of. 315 

fever 359 

Children, sex of at will 75 

diseases of. 417 

clothing of 376 

washing and bath- 
ing of 372 

diet and drinks of. . 378 

weaning of 386 

sleep of 402 

air and exercise for. 406 
moral management 

of... 415 

teething of 417 

(441) 



442 



INDEX. 



Children, raising by hand. .. . 391 

beautiful 440 

effects of tea and 

coffee on 385 

Cross-births 357 

Child birth, not painful. (See 
labor pains.) 

Croup 427 

Colds . . . . 425 

Cord, dressing of. 376 

Chlorasis, or green sickness.. 246 

Choosing a physiciau 317 

Circulation, the 44 

Coffee, effects of 115 

properties of 114 

Conceptions, false 314 

Climate and Southern woman. 156 

Clitoris, enlarged 220 

Conception, prevention of — 05 
when most likely 

to occur 64 

Constipation 195, 292 

Convulsions in pregnancy.. . . 303 

labor 358 

children 423 

Cooking meats 134 

rice 142 

Cough and difficulty of breath- 
ing 296 

Courses, time for 57 

absence and suppres- 
sion of 234 

painful 241 

Cramps in various parts 306 

Disease, causes of 210 

domestic treatment 

of 212 

in general 209 

principles of treat- 
ment 211 

Diseases of children 417 



Diseases of women 221 

and accidents of child 

bed 356 

of pregnancy 285 

Digestion, stages of. 41 

Diet 122 

peculiarities as to 125 

errors in 123 

for children 378 

the sedentary 123 

nursiug women 397 

Diarrhoea of children 418 

Drinks 100 

acidulous, alcoholic, 

etc 118 

artificial Ill 

quantity of 107 

temperature of 110 

uses of 107 

time for 109 

for children 378 

nursing women . . . 397 

Dress, abuses of. 173 

of children 376 

Dresses, low 174 

long , 175 

tight.. 176 

Eating, times of, 148 

Ears, sores behind 435 

Eruptive fevers 43:; 

Excretion from skin 49 

kidneys 50 

Excretions and secretions 48 

regulation of 196 

Exercise, neglect of 159 

among the fashion- 
ables 162 

at schools 160 

denied to girls 160 

modes of 164 

time for 167 



INDEX. 



443 



Exercise, objects of 168 

for children 406 

manual, for 409 

Eye, pupil of. 39 

offices of 40 

Fallopian tubes 55 

Fashions, origin of 1 84 

Fever, child bed 359 

Fevers, eruptive . 433 

Fires and ventilation 100 

Fits, hysteric 300 

fainting 295 

in labor 358 

Flooding. 356 

Foetus, signs of death of. 318 

Food, quantity of 151 

vegetable 135 

nutritiveness, etc 130 

animal 130 

cooking 1 34 

for children 378 

Flour, fine injurious 138 

Fruits, stone, etc. 144 

Garments, under 183 

Gestation, hygiene of. (See 

pregnancy.) 275 

Gravel 50 

Green sickness 246 

Hair, management of. 184 

Headache in pregnancy 299 

Hearing, sense of. 40 

Habits, secret, bad 63 

Hair and heads of infants. . .. 377 

Heartburn 290 

Heart, description of 30 

palpitation of 294 

Hooping-cough 433 

I lygiene, mental 198 

of menstruation. . . . 249 



Hygiene of gestation 275 

puberty 57, 439 

infancy 369 

lying-in women.. 346 

Hints to wives desiring off- 
spring , 62 

Inflammation of privates 222 

womb 252 

breasts 360 

Itching of privates 224 

Intermarriage of cousins 43<> 

different na- 
tions 437 

blacks and 
whites . . . 436 

Kidneys, excretion from. ... 50 

action of melons on. 145 

Kissing, dangers of 438 

Labor pains may be avoided.. 319 
teachings of An- 
atomy, etc ... . 320 
caused by morbid 

irritability 321 

not great in sav- 
age life 324 

cases of exemp 

tion from 325 

the doctors on.. . 330 
experiences of 

women 331 

Bible on 332 

exemption from, 

promised 334 

not a " curse ".. 333 

Labor, natural 337 

preparations for 341 

management of 342 

stages of. 340 

symptoms of. 339 



444 



INDEX. 



Labor, time for t . 338 

moral management of. 346 

position in 343 

diet, chamber, etc., in. 344 
bowels and bladder in. 345 
directions for women 

after 344 

Legs, swelled 307 

Ladies, fashionable 93 

Light, effects of 105 

Lochia, derangements of . . . . 358 

Longings 287 

Love, dangers of.-. . c 200 

Low spirits 298 

Lungs, structure of 34 

capacity of 92 

means of expanding.. 95 

offices of 45 

Lymphatics, description of.. . 32 

Marriage, time for 438 

and temperaments. 437 

Marriageable age 57, 437 

Mother's influence on child . . 370 
Menses. (See courses.) 
Menstruation. (See courses.) 

Midwifery 315 

Milk for infants 381 

leg , 364 

excess and deficiency of. 402 
Muscles, nature and uses of. . 27 

Nerves, the 29 

Nipples, sore 360 

Nurse, wet, how to choose. . . 395 
Nursing women, diet and 

drinks of 397 

Nursing women, drugging of. 399 
air and exer- 
cise of.. .. 400 
difficulties of 401 
Nutrition 47 



Nose, bleeding . . .„ 439 

Organs, internal vital 33 

sexual of women 52 

Ovaries, description of 55 

Offspring, limitation of 65 

reasons for preven- 
tion 66 

moral aspects of 

prevention 67 

plea for preven- 
tion 69 

means of preven- 
tion 71 

hints for increas- 
ing 72 

Opiates, dangers to children.. 403 

Piles 293 

Pregnancy, symptoms of 272 

diseases of. 285 

hygiene of. 275 

conjugal relations 
during 284 

Reproduction 63 

Respiration 45 

Senses, the 39 

Sense of sight 39 

hearing 40 

smell 39 

taste , 40 

touch 41 

Sick stomach 288 

Skin description of. 32 

Sleeping-rooms 172 

for children... 405 

Sleep. 169 

how long 171 

position in 172 

timefor 169 



INDEX. 



445 



Shoes, thin 180 

Sterility 74 

Swimming 190 

Sleeping together of husband 
and wife , 438 

Tea and coffee, effects of. ... . 113 

Temperature 154 

of rooms 155 

Toothache 286 

Twins, how produced 75 

Urine, inability to hold 305 

difficulty in passing. . . 306 

Vagina, discharges from 285 

description of 54 

Veins, enlarged 307 

description of ....... . 31 

Vaccination 410 

Vomiting in children 432 



Waists, pointed 175 

Water, modes of purifying... 122 

as a remedy 215 

rain, spring, etc 121 

time for drinking. . . . 109 
uses to the economy.. 107 

Waters, mineral ... 119 

Watering places, health de- 
stroying customs of 120 

Womb, description of. 55 

air and water in 262 

bath 259 

cancer of 262 

corroding ulcer of. ... 265 

falling of 266 

inflammation of 252 

tumors of 261 

ulceration of (sim- 
ple) 258 

Worms 429 



88 



%£, 



